


Dark Paradise*marvel*(Book One)

by ashestoashes01



Series: marvel's finest [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, I Don't Even Know, M/M, quotev saw it first, tags?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-10-11 05:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20540675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashestoashes01/pseuds/ashestoashes01
Summary: The Avengers have gained some new members since they were torn apart. It’s time to meet them.DISCLAIMER: we don’t own marvel!





	1. Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Kiddos! So this is another where we put ourselves into different universes! This time it’s Marvel. This is before infinity war and will end most likely when infinity war ends(part two). These are our characters! -A.M. 

Ariel’s Character- 

Name: Hecate/Cate

Age: Her actual age is not specified as she is a goddess but she looks 18 ish 

Powers: Her powers are very similar to Loki’s as she is a witch 

Description: Red hair with eyes that are constantly changing colours. 

About: She is the greek goddess of witchcraft and crossroads. She’s been around longer than anyone on this team. Even Steve Rodgers. She used to work for Howard Stark and was a close friend of his family. Howard knew what she was quickly and accepted her. She and Tony stayed close, even as when he became Iron Man. She was around during civil war but never choose a side for reasons that will be explained. 

Personality: She’s a sarcastic as hell genius. She loves her team more than anything and will do anything to protect them! 

MADDIE YOUR TURN

Name: Tyler O'Brien (yes i just did that)

Age:17

Powers: Fire and Healing

Description: Dirty Blonde Hair, Hazelish Greenish Eyes and lil freckles 

About:She was born with her unique powers.. She finally found the effects when she was 10 years old, when she broke her arm while playing on the mokeybars with Peter.Later on she became associated with STARK Indrustries along with Peter Parker.She has been best friends with Peter Parker since they were 2. In High School she grew a HUGE crush on him. They later started dating and became crime fighting buddy's. She lives with her parents and younger sister Carly (She adores Peter...she's only 6). Soon she became known as FireStorm

Personality: Very oblivious of things sometimes, Kind at heart, Weird but in a good way, Smart, only speaks memes and movie quotes(that’s a mood-A.M)

YAYAYAYA


	2. Happy Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this movie ruined me.. ALSO DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET! ONCE YOU DO COME BACK AND READ! Now this chapter is at least a year or a couple months before Thanos comes. Enjoy! ~M🐺🎈
> 
> This chapter is basically just a prologue. It goes a bit deeper into our characters and builds a foundation for the currently torn team. This chapter is split between Hecate's backstory and Tyler's story. After that it is them with various different Avengers~Ariel

(A bit about Hecate, set in 1969, just before Tony was born)

Cate Jackson walks towards Howard Stark's secretary, Carrie, with a large stack of papers and a smile. "Hey, Carrie. Does the boss man have anyone in his office today?" 

Carrie smiles up at the young woman, "No, he does not." Her smile falters, "But, I should warn you, he did seem a bit upset today!" 

Cate furrows her eyebrows in a mixture of confusion and concern, "I'll try to talk to him. Though, I probably shouldn't tell him about the current statistics then, should I?" She jokes with a wink and a tight smile. 

Carrie scoffs and nods in agreement, "Go on in."

"Thanks, Care." Cate says as she waltzes pass.

Cate walks into her boss' office, closing the door. She sees him looking at the window to their left side, staring off with a blank look. She looks at him with pitying look before saying, "Hey, boss?"

Howard jumps a bit and whips around, breathing out a sigh of relief at the sight of the young woman, "Cate, you're back."

Cate nods. "Yes, I brought the statistics. Which, by the way, was a bitch to come by! The little shits downstairs don't give the important information to the "lesser" sex."

Howard scoffs, "Maybe one day they'll realize that you're smarter than them and eventually work for you."

Cate shrugs, "Yeah, maybe one day." Cate sighs, "So, Carrie told me you've been off today? Is something wrong? Is it Maria?"

Howard looks down, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. "Well, if anyone should know it's you." He breathes out a sigh before saying, "Maria's pregnant."

Cate's eyes go impossibly wide and soften, "Oh, Howard, that's amazing!"

Howard places his head in his hands, "You don't get it, Cate! I don't know how to be a father!"

Cate scoffs at the overused comment, "No one knows how to be one! It all just comes to you as you go."

"What if I mess up?"

"Oh, you will! There's no what if about it. That's how life is." Cate sighs at Howard's incredulous face and sits down across from him, "Look, if parenting were easy and no one ever messed up, there would be nothing bad in the world." 

Howard scoffs, "Sounds like you've done it before.” 

Cate stiffens, “I have. You know how long I’ve been around.” 

He nods to himself, knowing that it’s a sore subject for Cate. “Maria doesn’t really know how to handle being pregnant or being a mother. Can you help her? I know that you’re really good with things like that, so please? I’ll give you a raise!” 

She smiles at him, “Of course I will! You don't even have to give me the raise for it." 

"Eh, you deserve it anyway!"

\----flash forward to the stark's deaths----

Hecate ran through the hospital and stops at the counter, "I'm here for the Starks."

"What is your relation to them?" The bored looking nurse asks.

"I'm-"

"Aunt Cate!" A young Tony Stark says as he walks up to them, eyes red and on the verge of crying.

Cate lets out a short sigh of relief, "Tony!" She says as she runs to hug him. 

Tony sags in her arms, "They're gone." 

"I know, kiddo." She says softly, blinking away the tears. 

At the sight of her tears, Tony completely breaks. He's suddenly on the floor, sobbing.

"Oh, Tony." She murmurs as she gathers him into her arms and runs her hands through his hair.

\--flash forward to civil war(RIP)--

Hecate walks through the busy New York City streets, headphones in and mindlessly digs through her pockets for her keys as she enters her apartment building.

She walks up the three flights of stairs, humming along to Panic! at the Disco song. She opens her apartment door and throws her bag on the sofa in the living room. She pulls her headphones out and glances around her apartment after hearing a small noise. 

She analyzes her whole apartment as quickly as possible. She goes to turn around before she feels someone grabs her arm. 

She twists around and breaks away from her attacker and kicks them down. She pins them down and goes to grab something that is on her side before catching a glowing light from their chest. 

Her head snaps up to their face and her face lights up, "Tony!"

"Hey, Aunt Cate!" A now grown Tony Stark says with a smile.

Hecate jumps up from her position and helps Tony stand before pulling him into a tight hug. 

"Missed you too." He says even though he's hugging her back just as tightly. 

"Of course you did!" She jokes as she pulls away and grins up at him.

Tony laughs at her before quickly turning serious, "Look, the reason I'm here is I need your help."

Hecate's face goes serious, "What is it?"

"It's about Steve and James Barnes."

"What happened?" Hecate says, obviously concerned. She walks him over to the kitchen and makes him sit down. “Before you start your story, do you want anything to eat or drink?” 

Tony goes to say no when she places chocolate chip cookies in front of him. He looks up at her with wide eyes, “Still using the same recipe?” 

Hecate smiles down at him, “I haven’t changed it in at least a century. Do you really think I’m going to change it?” 

Tony smiles up at her with childish glee, “Ah, I loved these things growing up!” 

Hecate gives him a soft place, “I know, kiddo.” 

Hecate sits down across from him and puts on a serious face, “So, what happened with the super soldiers?” 

Tony takes in a deep breath and quickly explains Accords, the fight in Germany,visiting Cap's team in the prison, and Bucky.

"Wait, wait, wait. You recruited two high schoolers?" Hecate asked incredulously.

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!" 

"Okay, what are your reasons for signing the Accords?" Heacte asks after a few quiet moments.

"After I gave my speech at MIT, a lady walked up to me and started telling me about her kid. She told me about how good of a kid he was. And then she told me about how he had been in Sokovia when we were fighting Ultron and his army. She said that he had died and she b-blamed us." Tony said, choking up a bit.

"Oh, Tony. You know you guys can't be blamed for all of that. You tried to evacuate as many people out as possible." Hecate says putting her hand on Tony's arm.

Tony nods to himself and continues his explanation, "After that we were all called in and now we can sign the Accords and be controlled by the government or remain wanted fugitives."

Hecate sits and thinks for a moment, "What about Steve's point of view?"

"What do you mean?" Tony asks with a confused look on his face. 

"Why do you think Cap disagrees with the Accords?"

"I honestly don't really know. I'm thinking it's because of Bucky." 

Hecate sucks in a breath, "When Steve first became Captain America, he was 100% under the government's control. You know how the ended for him. He ends up working for shield, which eventually goes to shit for him. Whenever someone takes control of him, it ends up badly for him or people he loves." 

"I never thought it about it that way." Tony says quietly. He buries his head in his hands, "I really need to talk to them."

She nods and smiles at him, "But, remember, you are not the only one at fault. He never took on your point of view either."

Tony smiles at her, "Thanks, Cate!" 

(the res of this is Maddie's stuff now ~A,M.)

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Before Civil War)

As Tyler heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the day, she walked out of her ELA class. When she arrived at her locker she heard the voice she knew by heart, Peter Parker, Her dorky, nerdy boyfriend walk up to her.

"Hey! I was just about to come find you." Tyler said as Peter smiled

"How was class?" Peter asked

"It was good, boring but good. Oh! I have to go grab our science project and we can go head to your place." She said forgetting all about the lab she had to finish and turn in two days

"Listen.... about the lab...." Peter said already wishing he could tell Tyler about Spider-Man

Tylers smile turns into a frown "I forgot i had to do something for Aunt May. Its really important. Not saying you aren't... its just she really needs my help. We can do this tomorrow i swear." Peter said

"You know i have Soccer practice tomorrow and i cant because Carly has a dance recital at 9:00 which is an absolutely absurd time. I also recall you saying that Yesterday and the day Before that and before that. I can keep going if you would like" She glares at Peter

"Look i-i got to go know or ill be late." Peter trips and starts walking away

"I promise ill make up to you!" Peter said getting trampled by other teens exiting the school leaving Tyler walking to her science class

"It wont happen again Tyler. Ill make it up to you. Can we do this tomorrow Tyler. Its important Tyler." Tyler mocked Peter once she walked in the classroom

As Tyler finds her papers and she accidentally set some homework she grabbed earlier onto some water spill on the table.

"Shit....." she went to the closet to grab some paper towels.

She walked to her stuff, cleaned the mess, grabbed her papers and walked out of there. She walked out of the school and took her train home.

\------------------------

(30 min later)

As she walked off her train she see's the familiar Red and Blue pattern swing past building to building. She smiled too herself knowing that she has become rather close to the protector of Queens.

When she walked into her Apartment she didn't see a sign of anyone in the house. She went in her room, opened her window, turned on some music and started her homework. As she sang along to the music she heard a knock on her window. She turned in to see Spider-Man walk in.

"Hey Spidey." Tyler smiled

"Hey. How was you day?" He sat on her bed looking at the lab wishing he could help

"Good until Peter had bail on me again." She said with a sigh

Peter frowned underneath his homemade mask “ I-I bet he feels really bad. Like really really bad.”

”You act like you’ve met him” she scoffed 

“No I’m just guessing...” Peter said

”Enough about me, How was your day. Any crimes or cats stuck in trees?” Tyler laughed

”If you count someone stealing a bike cool then there’s that” He said

Tyler giggled

As time went by, Spidey went back swinging around New York and Tyler went to bed looking at the flame that danced around her finger. Wondering why she was different from others. 

—————————————————————-

(I’m really lazy so let’s pretend Peter told Tyler. And Tyler found out about her powers)

(Before Civil War)

Peter and Tyler walked back to Peters apartment taking a quick stop at Mr. Delmars Sandwich Shop.

”Hey Mr. Delmar!” Tyler said

”Hey Tyler, Peter how you guys doing?" Mr. Delmar said

”Good! How bout you” Peter said

”Good! You guys want the usual?” Mr.Delmar said as Tyler went to go pet the cat and grab gummie worms

”Yes sir!” Tyler said

”Oh can I get extra pickles and can you smoosh it down, please?” Peter asked

”You got it boss” the worker said ( I assume this is what Peter does all the time..I got this from HOCO)

——————————————

Peter walks into his apartment along with Tyler stuffing her sandwich in her mouth.

”Hey May! I brought Tyler if that’s ok. Oh and I passed my chem test today, that was great” Peter said walking in the kitchen with Tyler not far behind 

“Hi May!” Tyler said with her sandwich still in her mouth

”Honey dont talk with food in your mouth you’ll choke.” May said as Peter stares at Tony Stark and Tyler nearly chokes on her sandwich.

“IS *cough* THAT *cough* TONY *cough*STARK” Tyler said wheezing 

“what- what are you doing here” Peter asked completely ignoring the fact that Tyler was literally dying (meeeeeeee everyday~M)

”Hey, I was just telling you very oddly attractive Aunt about how both you and Tyler here did the Stark Internship Survey and you got in I just came by to tell you” Tony said

May scoffs “We come in all shapes and sizes y’know.”

”W-what did we sign up for again?” Tyler asked

”You know anything really. Can I talk to them for 5 minuets?” Tony asked May

”Yeah” May got up and took the plate of whatever loaf it was called

The Two looked at each other then at Tony. Tony lead them to Peters room as the two trail behind like lost puppies 

“Okay we have five minutes let’s make this quick” Tony said and spit out his food in Peters Trash

”Why are you really here?” Tyler blurted out 

“I’m here because you two are the spider-ling and the flame, right?” Tony asked pulling up a video of Spider-Man catching a car that was about to crash into a bus

”n-no” Peter said

“Wow that’s amazing! 3000 pounds! Nice catch!” Tony said flipping the screen to FireStorm saving a person about to get hit by a car.

”What- what makes you think that’s us” Tyler asked

“Well...” Tony said opening a storage door on the ceiling and Peters suit falls down on a string which makes peter jump for it and throw it in his ‘closet’ ( it’s a wall with a bar across it. So technically not a closet. Thank you~M)

”So you’re the Spider-Boy?” Tony asked

”S-S-Spider-Man” Peter said correcting Tony

”And you?” Tony asked

”Nope!” Tyler said quickly 

“Hmm wheres the suit” Tony asked

”I honestly don’t know what you are talking about” Tyler said backing out to the door

"She hides it in her backpack, which is conveniently placed right behind you." Peter blurted out

"Peter!" Tyler yelled and slapped the boys arm

"ow..." Peter whined 

"Sit down both of you." Tony rolled his eyes

The three sit down on Peters twin bed. As the awkward silence fills the air Tony clears his throat.

"How about we go to Berlin." Tony said

"What?! N-n we cant." Peter said

"Why, give me one excuse" Tony asked

"Because... we have homework" Tyler said

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that" Tony shakes his head and gets up from his place on the bed to Peters door

"guess ill have to tell May then." Tony said

Peter flicked his wrist to the door handle which covered Tonys hand in webbing.

"Do not tell May." Peter said

"Looks like we're going to Berlin......" Tyler said

\--------------------------------------------------

As Happy showed them what their suits are supposed to look like the two freaked out.

"Holy Shit!" Peter said

Peter put on his suit when Tyler walked into the bathroom and put hers on. She walked out and smiled to herself.

"Talk about a minor upgrade." Tyler said

"Lets go you two!" Happy yelled

The two put their masks on and left for the airport.

______________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK I'm done..... i know i rushed my part but I'm excited soooooo its kinda crappy. But anyway I'm ready to write this Story. Also Tyler’s mask will look like this. Lets pretend it’s red.(the link doesn’t work don’t try it) ~Maddie🐺🎈


	3. Avengers Assemble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's the beginning of the real story. We will be starting this for Tyler where Peter enters Infinity War. For Hecate, she will enter when Tony enters Stephen and Wong's place. ~A.M.
> 
> Im really excited to write this.... just ask Ariel...😬😬😝😝~M🎈🐺
> 
> Yup and I regretted agreeing to it! -A.M.
> 
> This is the script we are using so it may or may not be completely accurate. 
> 
> THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!

(on the asgardian ship)

A bloodied Loki steps over the countless amount of dead Asgardians. Loki looks up with a pointed glare at Thanos and his "children."

"Hear me and rejoice! You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Thanos! You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No. It is salvation. Universal scales tipped toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death, you have become children of Thanos." Ebony Maw says as he stands beside Thanos.

"I know what it feels like to lose. To feel so desperately right, and continue to fail." Thanos says before he roughly grabs onto Thor. "It's so frightening and Turns your legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here… or should I say I am."

Thor makes a slight groaning noise, "You talk too much." 

Thanos ignores Thor and turns his attention to Loki, "The Tesseract or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference." 

Loki gives a nonchalant shrug, "I do. Kill away."

Thanos grins a bit and places the Power stone to Thor's temple and Thor begins to cry out in agony. Loki watches, trying to appear indifferent before flinching and yelling, "Stop it!" 

Thanos smirks and pulls the his gauntlet away. 

"Listen, we don't have the tesseract! It was destroyed on Asgard." Thor says, groaning a bit from the pain.

"Actually," Loki says as he pulls the Tesseract out from thin air. 

Thor mentally faceplams before, "You really are the worst, brother." 

"I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again." Loki says as he hands over the Tesseract. 

Thanos lets out a deep chuckle, "Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian."

"Well for one thing, I'm not Asgardian." Loki says after making a slightly offended noise. "And another, we have a HULK." 

(everyone in theatre: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

Hulk emerges and begins to fight Thanos. 

The Black Order begins to step in when Ebony Maw holds a hand out to stop them, "No, let him have his fun."

Thanos quickly defeats Hulk and slams him to the ground. 

Heimdall coughs from the ground and chokes out, "Forefathers, let the dark magic flow through me once more." With those words, he summons the Bifrost and sends Hulk out of the area.

With a growling noise, Thanos steps over to Heimdall, "That was a mistake!" He continues to drive a sword through his heart. 

"Nooo! You will pay for that!" Thor cries out while Loki flinches and meets Thor's heartbroken eyes for a moment. 

Thanos waves his hand and Thor becomes bound together and his mouth is covered. 

Ebony Maw steps closer to Thanos and holds out the Tesseract, "My humble personage bows bows before your grandeur. No other being has ever had the might, nay the nobility, to wield not one, but 2 Infinity Stones. The universe lies within your grasp."

Thanos crushes the tesseract to reveal the Space Stone. He places it into his gauntlet and cries out a bit at the pain and power goes coursing through him. "There are two more stones one Earth, find them my children and bring them to me." 

"Father, we will not fail you." Proxima Midnight says.

Loki makes eye contact with Thor once more and steps forward, "If I may interject, if you are going to Earth you may need a guide. I do have a bit of experience."

Thanos scoffs and says, "Only if you consider failure experience."

Loki turns towards Thanos, "I consider experience, experience. Almighty Thanos. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard," Loki pauses a makes eye contact with Thor one last time. "Odinson, the rightful King of Jotunheim, god of mischief," Loki brandishes a dagger behind his back and steps closer to Thanos, "do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity." Loki lunges, but is frozen in place when Thanos uses the power stone to stop him. Loki's eyes widen in fear.

"Undying. You should choose your words more carefully." Thanos says and grins as he takes Loki by the neck and picks him up.

"You...Will.....Never....Be....A....God." Loki chokes out before Thanos completely chokes the life of him. 

Thor tries to cry out but is stopped by the metal plate over his mouth, he fights to break free and get to his brother. 

Thanos drops Loki's lifeless body to the ground and faces Thor, "No resurrections this time." Thanos opens a portal and he and the Black Order step through it, vanishing into thin air. (oh fuck, i just gave myself feels~A.M.)

Thor finally manages to break free from his prison and immediately runs to Loki. "No, Loki." He mutters with tears in his eyes and holds on to his brother as their ship explodes. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue everyone crying* 
> 
> FUCK MARVEL 
> 
> that is all! see you next time
> 
> ~A.M.


	4. Just Another Day In New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still crying from the last chapter! But enjoy the Ironstrange meeting!~A.M.
> 
> im still shook about IW~M🐺🎈

(enter wong and stephen strange)

"Seriously? You don't have any money?" Strange asks Wong incredulously as they walk down the stairs.

"Attach to material is detachment from the spiritual." Wong shrugs.

Strange stops and turns to look at him, "Yeah, I'll tell that to the guys at the deli! Maybe they'll even make you a mystical ham and rye!" 

Wong digs through the pockets of his robes. "Wait, I have 200!"

"Dollars?"

"No, rupees!"

"Alright, I'll buy. What do you want?"

"I would't say no to a tune melt."

Strange rolls his eyes and goes to walk the rest of the way down the stairs when he catches sight of young female with red hair and the most unique eyes he has ever seen. He quickly whips out his magic shield/weapon. The girl laughs and whips a hand in front of her that seems to break his magic. He stares at the girl in both wonder and confusion. "Who are you?"

Wong steps in front of him and says, "Hecate? Goddess of magic?" in disbelief.

'Hecate' smiles at Wong and says, "Yes and you are Wong, the sorcerer. It's a pleasure to meet you." She steps closer the pair and holds out her hand. 

"It's an honor! I've read and heard many stories about you!" Wong says and immediately shakes her hand. 

Hecate blushes a bit and looks over to Stephen, "Doctor Stephen Strange, I've heard of your work. It's a pleasure. I am Hecate, greek goddess of magic. Or Trivia if you prefer my Roman form."

"It's a pleasure. I used to learn about the gods and goddesses in my History classes. Sadly, never really paid much attention as I was much more into science." Strange says, still slightly confused.

Hecate laughs, "Understandable. Some of us can be a bit-" 

The goddess interrupted as something crashes through the roof and into the stairs. The three magic wielders run over to the crash sight, immediately going into defense mood. 

Hecate softens as she sees a familiar sight and sighs with relief, "Bruce-"

Bruce Banner groans and looks up at the three with wide eyes, "T-thanos is coming. He is coming."

Hecate's eyes go wide, "Oh, shit."

\-------------*cue title screen and cut to Pepperony in the park*-------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony Stark walks besides his fiance, Pepper Potts as he rambles about dream he had the night before, "I'm totally not kidding!" 

"You're totally rambling!" Pepper says, rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm not!" Tony argues.

Pepper puts her hands up in defense, "You lost me."

"Look, you know when you're having a dream and you have to pee in the dream?" 

"Yeah, sure." 

"And then you're just like, oh my god, there's no bathroom! What am I going to do?" Tony exclaims, hand flying everywhere.

"And then you wake up and you have to pee?"

"Yes!" Tony exclaims.

"Everybody has that!" Pepper exclaims.

"Right, that's the point I'm trying to make is. Last night, I had a dream that we had a kid." Tony's mind wonders to Peter and Tyler for a split before he continues to say, "It was so real. We named him after your eccentric uncle! What was his name?"

Pepper raises her her eyebrow. "Right."

Tony snaps her fingers once he remembers, "Morgan!"

"So, you woke up and thought we were expecting?"

"Yes?" Tony questions.

"No." Pepper answers

"I had a dream about it! It was so real!" Tony says.

"If you wanted a kid," Pepper says and jabs her finger onto the the arc reactor, "you wouldn't have done that."

"I'm glad you brought this up, 'cause it's nothing. It's just a housing unit for nano particles." Tony explains.

"It's not helping your case." Pepper says, shaking her head. 

"It's an attachment, not a-" 

"You don't need it." Pepper interrupts.

Tony sighs, "I know I had the surgery. I'm just trying to protect us. The future, as is, and that's it. Just in case there's a monster in the closet. Just letting you know." 

"Shirts. You should have shirts in your closet." 

"Yeah. You know what there should be? No more surprises. We're gonna have a nice dinner tonight. Show off this Harry Winston. Right? And we should have no more surprises. Ever. I should promise you." 

"Yes,"

"I will-"

A reddish/orange colored portal interrupts him and Stephen Strange pops out, " Tony Stark, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me." He glances towards Pepper, "Oh, uh, congratulations on the engagement, by the way."

Tony raises an eyebrow at the man and stares at him in confusion, "I'm sorry, are you giving out tickets or something?"

"We need your help. Look, it's not overselling to say that the fate of the universe is at stake." Stephen says.

"WE? Who's we?" 

Bruce and Hecate pop their heads through. 

Tony's eyes widen at the sight of his friend and aunt. "Cate? Bruce?'

"Hey, Tony." Bruce says and steps through to hug him. 

Tony hugs back with major confusion. "What the hell?"

"Hey, Pepper! Congrats on the engagement that I had to hear about through every media outlet before Tony called me." Hecate says with a slight glare at Tony and a smile at Pepper. 

"How many times do I have to say sorry?!" Tony squeaks out. 

Hecate just smiles before just going back through the portal. 

"Damn, I didn't even get a hug." Tony says, slightly disappointed before going through the portal himself.

\-------------------------------------------------back to the sanctum----------------------------------------------------------------

"Why didn't I get a-Oof!" Tony starts before Hecate slams into him with a hug, he immediately sinks into the hug. "Must you hug me this hard?" He says, even though he's hugging back just as hard.

"I'm your aunt, I'm allowed to." Is the only response he gets. 

They separate after a moment as they think of what Strange had said. "So, the universe is at stake. Again."

Wong projects an image of the infinity stones, " From the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom! The Big Bang sends six elemental crystals, hurdling across the virgin Universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence." 

"Not really." Hecate says, cringing a bit.

"What do you mean Not Really?" Wong asks.

Hecate gets up from her spot, "The stones were created by some of the gods. Zeus, Odin, and-" She pauses.

"And?" Tony chokes out, thinking he already knows the answer.

Hecate makes eye contact with him and says, "Me."

"Why didn't any books or legends ever mention this?"

"Because we didn't want anyone to know! We had to keep our part out it. So we changed the story."

"Why?" Strange asks.

"Because we couldn't have anyone trying to trick us into finding any of them. Not even Thor or Loki, Odin's own sons, know about us creating them!" Hecate says, looking at Tony yet again, who flinches at the mention of the villain and his teammate.

"Oh my god." Tony mutters.

Hecate says and walks up to the projection of the stones and points them out, "Space. Reality. Power. Soul. Mind. And Time." Hecate says and eyes Strange's 'necklace'.

"Tel-tell me his name again." Tony stutters out, still thinking about what his aunt just revealed to him.

"Thanos." Bruce answers. "He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York. That was him."

Hecate nods slightly in agreement. 

"What's our timeline?"

"No telling. He has the Power and Space Stones, that already makes him the strongest creature in the whole Universe. If he gets his hands, on all six Stones, Tony..." Bruce says.

"He can destroy life on a scale hither to undreamdt of." Strange says. 

"Did you seriously just say that?" Tony asks incredulously.

"Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?" Strange claps back.

Strange's cloak hits Tony's arm off the cauldron.

"I am going to allow that. So, if he needs all six stones, then why don't we just throw that one down the garbage disposal?" Tony asks pointing to the time stone.

"I wouldn't work." Hecate whispers.

"We swore an oath to protect the stone with our lives." Wong says.

"And I swore to lay off dairy-" Tony starts.

"Because you're lactose intolerant and I forced you to!" Hecate says. 

Tony whips around to Hecate, "That is not the point!" He says before turning back around, "But, then Ben and Jerry's named a flavour after me."

" Stark Raving Hazelnuts." Strange said, with a bit off disgust.

Tony makes a offended noise, "It's not bad."

"It's chalky."

" 'A Hunka-Hulka Burning Fudge' is our favorite." Wong says.

"That's a thing?" Bruce asks.

"This is a thing that you guys think we should discussing?" Hecate snaps. 

"Oh, like, how we should have discussed you being a creator of the Infinity Stones?!" Tony snaps back at Hecate.

Hecate flinches and Tony softens, "Look, I'm sorry, Aunt Cate. I just can't believe you didn't tell me."

Hecate puts a hand on Tony's shoulder, "I'm sorry too. I should've told you. If there was anyone I could've trusted with this information, it's you."

Strange interrupts, "Anyway, what was your point?" 

Tony quickly regains his composure, "Right. Um, things change."

"Our oath to protect the Time Stone cannot change. This Stone may be the best chance we have against Thanos." Stephen argues.

"And still conversely, it may also be his best chance against us!" Tony argues back as he steps closer.

"Only if we don't do our jobs!" Strange says and steps closer to him.

"What is your job? Besides making balloon animals?" Tony says.

"Protecting your reality, douche bag!" Strange sees getting in his face.

"Okay guys, can we table this discussion right now? The fact is that we have the stone. We know where it is. Vision is out there somewhere with the Mind Stone, and we have to find him now." Bruce interjects.

Tony steps away from the sorcerer and doesn't make eye contact with his friend, "Yeah, that's the thing." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Two weeks ago, Vision went offline. He turned off his transponder." 

"What, Tony? You lost another bot?"

"I didn't lose him! He's evolved! He's more than that!" 

"Who could find Vision?" Strange asks

Hecate and Tony make eye contact and have a silent conversation, Hecate nods slightly and Tony sighs before turning to Bruce and the Sorcerers.

He feels the phone in his pocket burn as he says, "Probably Steve Rogers." His breath hitches and Hecate looks down to the ground.

"Okay, then, let's just call him then?" Bruce says.

"I-it's not that easy." Tony says and laughs a bit, "We haven't caught up yet have?"

Bruce shakes his head.

"The Avengers broke up. We're toast." Tony shrugs.

"Broke up? Like a band? Like the Beatles?" Bruce exclaims. (no like my chemical romance, bruce.)

"Cap and I fell out. Hard. We're not on speaking terms." Tony says quietly.

"What he means is, he and Steve got a divorce, because Steve was sneaking Bucky Barnes around, the kids had to choose a parent to live with, and then they had a fight, the rest is history." Hecate says, stepping in for Tony. 

Bruce looks at the two in sympathy before just looking at Tony, "Tony, listen to me. T-thor's g-gone. Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter who you're talking to or not." 

Tony makes eye contact with him and then Hecate, before whipping out the old phone and hovers over the call button for Steve's contact. He's just about to press it when there's a strange whirring noise from outside. He snaps the phone closed and the five run out the door. They look up at a giant wheel in the sky.

Tony looks around to see different items flying around in the sky. A woman falls right in front of Tony and he bends down to help her, "Are you okay?"

A car then crashes into a pole and Tony turns to the two sorcerors, "Go help them!" 

"I got it! Go!" Bruce says, volunteering himself to do it. 

"Hey, Doc, you might wanna get your time stone thingy working and start using it!" Tony calls out.

Tony turns to the three behind him. Wong and Strange have their 'strange' orange/red magic hands ready and Hecate has her green magic ready. 

\--------------------------------------------------------*to the bus*------------------------------------------------------------------

*peep harrison in the background ;)))*

Peter Parker is sitting on the school bus when he feels the hair on his arm literally stand up. His head snaps up and over to his girlfriend, Tyler O'Brien to find her doing the same thing. She snatches her backpack up and jumps over to his seat. They look out of their window to see the spaceship. They exchange a look before they both hit Ned on his shoulder.

"Ned! We need you to cause a distraction!" Peter tells his best friend.

"What-" Ned asks turning around and then seeing the spaceship, "HOLY SHIT!! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!" 

Peter and Tyler climb out of their window as everyone else tries to see the spaceship. They both dig through their bag for their suits. Tyler being easy to put on by a push of a button on her wrist. Just a upgrade Cate and Tony gave her.

"Wait, wait!" Tyler says before Peter puts his mask on.

Peter whips his head up, "What's wro-" He tries to say before Tyler kisses him. 

She pulls away and smiles up at him, "Good luck."

He gives a smiles and pecks her lips, "You too." 

And with that they are off to save the world.

Again

\---------------------------------------------------*back to where we were*---------------------------------------------------------

"Friday, evacuate everyone south of 43rd street!" Tony says.

"Will do!" The A.I. responds.

The small group stop at the sight of Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf step out. 

Ebony Maw spreads his arms out dramatically, "Hear me, and rejoice. You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful, that your meaningless lives are now contributing to..."

"I'm sorry Earth is closed today! You better pack it up and get out!" Tony interrupts.

Ebony Maw ignores Tony and face Strange, "Stone Keeper, Does this chattering animal speak for you?"

"Certainly not, I speak for myself. But he is right. There's no trespassing on this land!" Strange says.

"It means get lost, Squidward!" Tony says.

"Really, Squidward? I was thinking more towards Voldemort." Hecate suggests as she steps forward.

"Hecate, good to see you as always." Ebony says to the goddess.

"Ebony, I would've preferred not to have seen you again, but here we are." Hecate quips.

"You know the asshole, Cate?" Tony asks.

"He's exhausting. Give me the stone!" Ebony says.

Tony turns to Bruce, "You wanna piece?" 

"No, but, when I actually get what I want?" Bruce asks.

"That's my boy."

Bruce then tries to release the Hulk and fails to do so. He groans a bit.

"It's been awhile. Good to have you." Tony says as Bruce repeatedly tries.

"Look, I need to concentrate for a moment." Bruce says and squeezes his eyes shut, "Come on, man." He repats over and over to himself. 

Tony steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder, "Where's our guy?"

"I don't know. We're having a thing." Bruce groans in frustration.

"Yes, there is a thing, And he's right there!" Tony says, pointing to Ebony and Dwarf.

Bruce tries once more and lets out a loud grunt as he fails yet again.

"Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards and my favorite aunt!" Tony says.

"You do that yourself Tony. Everyday!" Hecate cuts in.

"What is this degrade Tony day?" Tony asks.

"Also a thing you do everyday! Speaking of which we will talk about that when this is all over!" Hecate says with a pointed look at Tony.

"Not the point, Cattie!" Tony says. "Alright, stand down, Bruce."

Black Dwarf advances towards them and Tony steps forward his Iron Man suit seeming to come out from his skin.

Bruce's eyes widen in awe, "Where did that come from?"

"Nano-types! You like it?" Iron Man asks before firing repulsor at Dwarf, sending him flying into Ebony. 

“So if your green alter ego doesn’t want to show himself,” Strange says before creating a portal and sending Bruce to the park. 

"You little-" Ebony says before shooting a piece of debris towards the group and Hecate's hands shoot up, and green light surrounding the debris before she pushes forward, sending him back down again.

Ebony cries out and Tony is suddenly sent flying towards the park. He crash lands where Strange has sent Bruce. The doctor shoots up and over towards Tony. 

“Hey, Tony! You okay? How we doing? Good? Bad?” 

“Really good! You planning on helping?” 

“I’m trying! He won’t come out!” Bruce groans.

Black drawf decides that it’s a good to show up to where the two geniuses are. Tony automatically shoots an energy beam towards him. The beam cuts through a tree and the tree collapses towards Bruce.

Bruce climbs out from under the tree. “Come on, Hulk! Come on!” 

Hulk pops out for a moment, just to scream, “No!” 

“What the hell do you mean? No?” Bruce asks. 

Tony continues to fight with Black Dwarf. Dwarf grabs a piece of car to throw at Tony, but the piece is intercepted by a string of webbing. 

“Hey, Mr. Stark! What’s up?” Peter Parker calls from where he was swinging and Tyler was flying with her fire power.

“Kids! Where did you come from?” Tony asks incredulously.

“Field trip.” The teens say in unison. 

Hecate shoves an ear piece that connects to Tony into her ear, “Tony? What’s going on?” 

“Hey, Cate!” The teens say as the piece connects to their suits as well. 

Hecate pauses when she hears the young voices, “You brought the kids in?! What the hell Tony?” 

“I did not!” Tony defends himself. 

“He really didn’t! We jumped off a bus.” Peter jumps to his mentors defense. 

“PETER NOT HELPING!” Tyler shouts as she flies closer to where Hecate is. “Hey, Cate. How are you?” 

Hecate smiles, “Hi, Tyler. I’m okay. How are you? And congrats on how you haven’t killed Peter yet.” 

“I’m great! And thank you! It’s honestly a challenge I have to face everyday." Tyler jokes.

Peter makes an offended noise as Hecate laughs. 

"Tyler, Hecate, this is not the time!" Tony says, even though he is laughing as well.

"Are you really telling me that now is not the time?" Hecate asks, incredulously.

"No?" Tony ask. 

"That's what I thought!" Hecate says as the two teens smile. 

The four's moment is ruined by Black Dwarf coming back and attacking them yet again.

Tyler was thrown into a brick wall and The rest into trees.

”Oh I love how they get an easy landing” Tyler groaned

Hecate laughs while using her magical powers

Peter and Tony were trying to distract Black Dwarf as Tyler and Hecate use a technique they learned together. That was throwing Fire balls and interfering into Hecates green mist.

As they did, what Tyler called, Super Fire Power-up Peter was being tossed around like a rag doll 

“What the hell is this guys problem!?” Peter yells

Hecate did her thing and blocked Black Dwarfs every move. Tyler shot for the eyes, that was something Cate taught her. Peter went for the legs and Tony shot at the guy rapidly.

”Tony I don’t think this is working!” Cate said

”Yeah she’s right Mr. Stark...” Peter followed.

Tyler's eyes light up, "Wait, Cate! Remember when we were fighting that really big guy while we were training? Pete had his legs, I shot at his eyes, and then you-"

Hecate gasped and she lit up with mischief, "I knocked him into the Empty! Oh, Tyler, you're a genius!"

"You're the one who taught me!" Tyler says, smiling at the compliment.

"What's the plan here?" Tony said as he continues to shoot Drawf.

Hecate immediately leaps into commander mode as she tells every ones orders, "Tony lead Dwarf into open spot in the park. Peter and Tyler, go for legs and eyes just like we taught you. I'm going to open a portal that will send to the Empty where he inevitably die. Once open said portal, Tony, you and I will have hit him with nearly everything we've got to make sure he falls." 

As everyone nods and gets to where they need to be, Hecate works on creating the portal. The ground open up, a large circle leading into a pitch black and never ending space. 

"Okay, we got him!" Tyler yells out, covering the Dwarf's eyes completely. 

"Okay, good job kids! Tony, you ready?" Hecate says as her hands are covered in green mist.

"Let's light him up!" Tony yells out as he fires his repulsors. 

Dwarf finally falls into the pit and the four heroes sigh in relief. However their relief is short lived when Ebony Maw flies past them at light speed with a tied down Strange following him. 

"Oh, shit!" Tony and Peter say in unison as they both race after them, Peter going slightly faster than his mentor. 

"Cate, what do we do?" Tyler asks frantically as her incredibly stupid boyfriend climbs up the space craft. 

"Follow him, Tyler! I have to go check on Banner! Keep me up to date! Good luck kids!" Hecate says as split ways. 

Tyler rushes to her boyfriend's aide when she notice he will soon stop breathing, trying to help until she notices the she can't breathe either. 

"FRIDAY! Deploy A-17 and 18." Tony says as he quickly approaches the craft. 

Peter stares down at his new "iron spider" armor with awe, And Tyler with a mask just like Bucky Barnes, thankful for finally being able to breath. 

"Oh my god!" Tyler exclaims in excitement. 

They both hear Tony laugh slightly as says, "Happy trials, kids! Friday send'em home." 

The two yelp as they feel themselves being carried away. "Luckily" for them, they end up sent to what seems like a back entrance. 

"Tony where are Tyler and Peter?" Hecate asks as she finishes checking up on Bruce. 

"Don't worry I sent them home!" Tony answers quietly as he enters the craft. 

"Are you sure?" 

"I don't know!" 

"Tony..." 

"I'm kidding! Of course I did! I don't want my so- i mean, intern and his girlfriend getting hurt."

"Okay, Tony. Just be careful."

"Wait, you're not coming up here?" Tony asks in confusion.

"No. I'm-"

"Where are you going then?" Tony asks.

Hecate sighs and pulls out her phone, her finger hovers over the contact lovingly named 'King of Cats.' "I'm going somewhere I haven't been too in awhile."

Tony falls into more confusion before just saying, "Okay, just be careful, Aunt Cate."

Hecate smiles before saying, "You too, Tony." She disconnects her earpiece and presses call. "Hey, T'Challa."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bruce Banner walks among the rubble and dust(cries). He finds a familiar looking flip phone lying in the dirt. When he picks it up, he notices a contact under an even more familiar name and quickly presses call.

"Tony?" A hopeful voice says after immediately picking up.

"N-no it's Bruce. Look, Steve, we need your help."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya know I kinda hate that they didn't put where Steve answers the phone in the movie. I hope they had a good reason for not doing so. 
> 
> I hope the way we're ending the chapters doesn't leave anyone confused!!
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~A.M


	5. Of Space"ships" and Scarlet Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so in this part its where Peter, Tony, Tyler, and Strange are on the spaceship. it then transfers to guardians and when they meet Thor. it goes to Wakanda for genius-witch(Shuri and Hecate, let me know if you think of a better ship name.) then leaps over to scarlet vision and their fight with the children of Thanos.
> 
> please let us know if it gets confusing! we will 100% understand!!
> 
> again this is the script we are using
> 
> ~A.M.
> 
> Alrighty! Sooo last chapter had some errors and we are going to fix that but for now please enjoy this chapter!~M🎈🐺

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony Stark sneaks his way around the ship, trying to find where Strange and Ebony Maw are. 

"Boss, there is an incoming call from Miss. Potts." FRIDAY comes in through his suit.

"Put her through." Tony mutters, heart in his throat.

There's a click as Pepper's worried voice comes through his suit, "Tony? Oh my god! Are you all right? Where are you?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just think that we need to cancel our reservations for tonight." Tony says, ignoring her second question.

"What, why?"

"I don't think I'm going to make it back for awhile." Tony says as he continues to look around.

"Tell me you are not on that ship." Pepper says firmly.

Tony pauses and that seems to be the only answer that she needs. "Oh my god." 

Tony sighs to himself, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know how to say this Pep-"

"Come back here! I swear to god-" The call begins to lose service as the ship goes closer into space. "Come back here right now!"

"Boss, we're losing her!" FRIDAY cuts in.

"I'm going too... Oh my god!" Is the last thing Tony hears from Pepper.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(with the guardians)

Rubberband Man by The Spinners blares through the Guardians' ship as they make their way through space. 

"Sing it, Drax!" Peter Quill calls out while dancing along. 

Peter gets a snore in response.

"Why are we doing this again?" Rocket the trash panda Raccoon asks as he yawns

"It's a distress signal, Rocket. Someone could be dying." Gamora responds, annoyance clear in her voice.

"I get that but why are we doing it?" 

" 'Cause we're nice! And whoever it is will give us some cheddar cheese for our help." Quill says with a small smile towards the raccoon.

Gamora whips her head around and raises an eyebrow at Quill, "Which isn't the point."

Quill immediately nods in agreement, "Which isn't the point. But if he doesn't pony up-"

"We take his ship!" Rocket finishes enthusiastically.

"BINGO!" 

"We are arriving." Mantis says as she adjusts a few things.

Quill straightens up, "All right, Guardians. Don't forget, this might be dangerous, so let's put on our mean faces." He turns towards Groot, who is a teenager and playing on a handheld gaming device. "Okay, Groot, time to put that thing away. Now, I don't want to tell you again! Groot."

"I am Groot." Groot says in a mocking voice.

"Whoa!" Peter snaps.

"Language." steve rogers ,I mean Rocket, snaps.

"Wow." Drax, who woke up when Mantis said they were arriving, mutters to himself.

"You got some acorns on you, kid. Ever since you got your little sap, you're a total d-hole. Keep it up, and I'm gonna smash that thing to pieces!" Rocket snaps at Groot.

Groot just rolls his eyes and continues his game.

Rocket begins to go through with his threat, he is distracted by Mantis saying, "What happened?"

All of the Guardians stare up at the Asgardians' ruined ship and their bodies float around space.

"I guess we aren't getting paid." Rocket mutters as he stares in shock.

They all jump as an unconcious body slams against their wind shield.

"Wipers! Wipers! Get it off!" Rockets yelps as the man opens his eye.

(they bring the body in and lay it on a table)

"How the hell is this dude even alive?" Quill mutters as he looks at the unconscious body.

"He is not a dude. You're a dude. This is a man. A very handsome, muscular man." Drax says as he admires the man.

"I'm muscular," Quill snaps. obviously offended. 

"Who are you kidding, Quill? You're one sandwich away from being fat." Rocket says.

Quill scoffs, "Yeah, right!" He thinks for a moment and looks at his stomach. "What."

”It’s true, you have gained a little weight.” Drax agrees with Rocket. 

Quill turns to Gamora, “Do you think-?”

Mantis interrupts him, “He is anxious. Angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt.” 

Drax looks the man up and down, “It’s like a pirate had a baby with an angel.” 

“Wow, this is a real wake up call! I’m gonna get boflex! I’m gonna commit! I’m gonna get some dumbbells!” 

“You can’t eat dumbbells!” Rocket quips 

Gamora examines the man, grabbing onto his arm. “It’s like his muscles are made out of Cotati metal fiber.” 

“Stop massaging his muscles!” Quill snaps and Gamora glares at him as she drops the arm. “Wake him up!” He says to Mantis 

“Wake.” Mantis whispers and they all jump back as the man leaps up from the table. 

Thor blinks an eyes at them, “Who the hell are you guys?!” 

———————

(back to thor and the guardians, a little later.) 

“The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal. To bring balance to the Universe by wiping out half of all life. He used kill people, planet by planet, massacare by massacare-“ Gamora explains. 

“Including my own.” Drax interrupts, slightly regretting it as Gamora flinches.

“If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he could do it what just a snap of his fingers. Like this:” She says and snaps her fingers. 

“You seem to know a great deal about Thanos.” Thor remarks. 

“Gamora is the daughter of Thanos.” Drax says as Gamora looks down in shame. 

Thor stands from he is and looks eyes with the green woman, “You’re father killed my brother.” 

“Oh boy. Stepfather, technically. She hates as much as you do.” Rocket interferes. 

Thor immediately softens in understanding and lays a large, gentle hand on Gamora’s shoulder, “Families can be difficult. Before my father passed, he told me I had a half sister that he had imprissoned in Hell. The she returned home and took my eye. I had to kill her. That’s life, there was nothing else. I understand your pain.” 

Quill moves Thor’s hand off of Gamora, “I feel your pain too. I mean it’s not a competition but I’ve been through a lot as well. My father killed my mother. Then I had to kill him. Probably harder to kill than a sister plus I escaped with both of my eyes.” 

Thor ignores him as he whips around the ship, “I need a hammer, not a spoon!” He attempts to type on a keypad. “How do I open this thing? A four digit code? A birthday perhaps?” 

“What are you doing?” Peter snaps at Thor. 

“I’m taking your pod!” Thor answers. 

“No, you’re not!” Peter clears his throat and deepens his voice, “You will not be taking our pod today, sir!” 

“Quill, are you making your voice deeper?” Rocket asks with a laugh. 

“No!” 

“You just did it again! You’re imitating the god man!” 

“No, I’m not!” 

“He just did it again!” Mantis says. 

“This is my voice!” Quill snaps, voice still deep. 

“Are you mocking me?” Thor asks, stepping closer to Quill.

"Are you mocking me?" Quill imitates back.

"Stop it! You did it again!" Thor exclaims.

Quill scoffs and looks over towards his team, "He's trying to copy me."

"Would you stop that?" Thor snaps.

"Enough! We need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he's going next." Gamora snaps at the two "men"

"Oh, easy, Knowhere!" Thor says.

"He must be going somewhere." Mantis says, obviously confused.

"No. Knowhere? It's a place. We've been there. It sucks." Quill looks towards Thor, who is rummaging through their food storage. "Excuse me, that's our food."

Thor smirks over towards Quill, "Not anymore."

"Thor, why would he be going to Knowhere?" Gamora asks the god.

"Because for years, the Reality Stone has been safely stored, there with a man we call the Collector."

Quill whips his head up at the name, "If it's with the Collector, then it's not safe. Only an idiot would give that man a stone." 

Thor shrugs at the man, "Or a genius."

"How do you know he's not going after one of the other stones?" Gamora asks.

"There's six stones out there. Thanos already has the Power Stone because he stole it last week, when he decimated Xandar. He stole the Space Stone from me when he destroyed my ship and slaughtered half my people. The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They're with the Avengers." Thor explains.

"The Avengers?" Quill asks, eyebrow raised in question.

"Earth's mightiest Heroes?" 

"Like Kevin Bacon?" Mantis asks. (yes you tiny adorable person.)

Thor looks at her confusedly, "He may be on the team. I don't know. Haven't been there in a while. As for the Soul Stone, well, no one's ever seen that. No one even knows where it is. Therefore, Thanos can't get it. Therefore, he's going to Knowhere. Hence, he'll be getting the Reality Stone. You're welcome."

"Great, we have to go to Knowhere now!" Gamora says.

"Wrong. Where we have to go, is Nivadellir." Thor says, matter of factly.

"That's a made up word." Drax laughs.

"All words are made up."

"Nivadellir is real?" Rocket asks with excitement ad leaps onto a table. "Seriously? I mean, that place is a legend. They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the Universe. I would very much like to go there, please." 

Thor smiles at the animal, "The rabbit is correct! And clearly the smartest among you."

"Rabbit?" Rocket says in confusion.

"Only Eitri the dwarf king can make me the weapon I need." Thor turns to speak to Rocket. "I assume you are the captain?"

Rocket proudly smiles at Thor as the rest of the Guardians roll their eyes. 

"You're very perceptive." Rocket says.

"You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to Nivadellir?" Thor asks.

"Lemme just ask the captain. OH WAIT! That's me! Yeah, I'll go!"

"Wonderful." Thor says with a smile.

"Except that I'm the captain." Quill snaps.

"Quiet." Rocket snaps back.

Thor smirks and goes to grab a backpack. "Hey! Wait a second, that's my backpack."

"Quill, sit down." Rocket says.

Quill rolls his eyes and turns to Thor, "Look, this is my ship. And I'm not going to… Wait, what kind of weapon are we talking about here?"

"The Thanos killing kind." Thor says, giving Gamora a look of sympathy as she obviously tries not to finch.

"Don't you think we should all have a weapon like that?" Quill asks.

"No. You simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies will crumble as your minds collapse into the madness."

"Is it weird that I kinda want to do it more now?" Rocket says giddily.

"A little bit." Thor says

"If we don't go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another stone, he'll be too powerful to stop." Gamora says, stepping closer to the god.

Thor stiffens, "He already is."

"I got it figured out. We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel here, and the morons will go to Knowhere to try and stop Thanos. Cool? Cool." Rocket suggests.

"So cool." Thor agrees.

Quill stops Rocket before he steps into the pod, "For the record… I know that you're only going with him because it's where Thanos isn't."

"You know, Quill, you shouldn't talk that way to your captain." Rocket responds as he steps into the pod. "Come on, Groot. Put that game down. You'll rot your brain."

"I am Groot." Groot says in a sarcastic tone.

"I bid you farewell and good luck, morons!" 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((wakanda))

Hecate steps off the ship that transported her the country of Wakanda. The king T'Challa and Okoye approach her with a smile. 

Hecate returns the smile as she stops in front of them, "Hello, Your Majesty. Okoye."

"Hecate, it's just T'Challa. But, it's good to see you." T'Challa smiles.

"It's good to be back." Hecate smiles at the king and then turns to the warrior, "Hello, Okoye. How's the french going?"

"Je peux enfin mieux, merci a voux." Okoye responds.

"Tres bonne!" Hecate says with pride.

T'Challa looks between the two women, laughing slightly. "Shuri, doesn't know your here. Go surprise her." He says with a knowing look.

Hecate blushes slightly and nods, "Okay, yeah, I can do that. Au revoir, mes amies." She says before walking away.

"She could kill everyone here all at once and yet-" Okoye begins.

"She will blush and stutter over a girl." T'Challa finishes.

(in the lab) 

Shuri was concentrating on making an improved suit for her brother when she heard the door to her private area in the lab open and then close. Shuri whipped around to see no one standing there. She quickly snatched her weapon up and glances around the room. "Who's there?"

Shuri jumps and shrieks as someone pokes her side. She whips around, saying, "Ah! You almost made me-"

"Drop your croissant?" Hecate finishes with a smirk.

"I was actually going to say have a heart attack, but I wish I was going to say that." Shuri replies, staring at Hecate in surprise. 

The two women stare at each other for a moment before Hecate says, "Now, where's my-"

Before the goddess could finish her sentence, Shuri launches onto her, sending them onto the floor. They both are giggling messes as they lay on the floor. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Shuri asks. 

“I wanted to surprise you.” Hecate responds with a shy shrug.

”Well, you did.” Shuri says with a laugh.

Hecate looks up at her with a smile. “Good.”

Shuri gives her girlfriend a soft smile, “Hi.” 

Hecate softens as well and looks up at her, “Hi.” 

Shuri smiles wider and leans in. 

(a soft lesbian couple)

——————————-

(yeet to my least favourite people in the mcU atm) 

A humanoid Vision looks out the window into a rainy night in Scotland as Wanda reads on the bed they share. 

Vision cringes as a loud high pitched noise that only he seems to hear fills the room. 

Wanda looks up from the bed at the sound of his pain and rushes over to him, “Vis? Is it the stone again?” 

“It’s as if it’s saying something to me.” Vision manages through the pain. 

“What’s it saying?” Wanda asks.

“I don’t know but it’s saying something.” Vision cringes.

The stone trills again and Vision flinches. Wanda takes his face in her hands. Vision turns his head so he can kiss her left palm, then presses Wanda's hand to the Mind Stone.

“Tell me what you feel?” Vision ask as he feels her magic in his mind.

“I just feel you.” 

—————————

(cut to them just walking around) 

“So there’s a 10 am to Glasgow to give us more time together." Wanda says as they stroll through.

"What if I miss that train?" Vision asks, almost hesitantly.

Wanda looks at him with confusion, "There is an 11."

Vision abruptly stops them, "What if I missed all the trains? What if this time, I didn't go back?"

"You gave Stark your word." Her face scrunches up at the mention of Tony Stark. 

"I'd rather give it to you."

"There are people who are expecting me too, you know. We both made promises." She remarks thinking of the rogue Avengers. 

"Not to each other. [he puts his hands on her shoulders] Wanda… For two years, we've stolen these moments, trying to see if this could work. And... I don't know. You know what, I'm just gonna speak for myself. - I, I... I think..."

"It works."

Vision nods, "It works." He continues as Wanda nods in agreement, "Then stay. Stay with me."

Wanda looks down, almost in consideration, but then her eyes and attention drift to her left.

"Or not. If I'm overstepping…"

Wanda shakes her head and steps over to a better view of the TV in the kebab shop at which they had stopped, drawing Vision with her. It shows coverage of the invasion of New York, the alien antagonists, and the disappearance of Tony Stark.

"What are they?" Wanda fearfully says. 

"What the stone was warning me about." He stops and kisses Wanda's hand, "I have to go."

"No, Vision. Vision, if that's true… Then maybe going isn't the best idea."

"Wanda, I…" 

Corvus Glaive appears suddenly behind Vision, stabbing him through the back. Vision screams, loses his glamour to return to his green, red and gold appearance, and is thrown down into the street.

"Vision!" Wanda cries out in worry, she circles her hands, gathering up energy for a counterattack when Proxima Midnight blasts her from behind, knocking Wanda across the street and through a bistro's window.

Corvus Glaive pins Vision down and digs the point of his high-tech glaive into Vision's forehead in an attempt to extract the Mind Stone. Wanda commits her own surprise attack, blasts both of the aliens away, then lifts Vision and herself into a nearby courtyard, from where Wanda drags him to rest in a concealed alleyway.

"The blade. It stopped me from phasing." He weakly manages 

"Is that even possible?" 

"It isn't supposed to be." His voice begins to distort electronically, "My systems are failing." Wanda gestures over his gaping wound, using her magic to knit him back together. Vision continues in a gasping, wry tone, "I'm beginning to think... we should have stayed in bed."

Wanda manages a weak before Corvus Glaive suddenly arrives, knocking Wanda aside and grabbing Vision into the air. 

"Vis!" She shouts. 

Corvus flies away with Vision, slamming him against several walls. Meanwhile, Proxima engages Wanda with her staff weapon and they too begin to fight.

"Give up the Stone, and she lives." Corvus Gaive promises. 

Vision flies with Corvus to the roof of what appears to be a church, ricocheting off the stone church tower and onto the metal-clad roof

Simultaneously, Proxima and Wanda fight below, staff weapon versus magic energy hands until Proxima uses the blaster effect of her weapon to knock Wanda meters away, stunning her as Proxima leaps down, brandishing her weapon within bare inches of Wanda's face, only held back by Wanda's powers. 

Furiously, Vision pummels Corvus, then throws him across the roof, firing a beam from the Mind Stone. Corvus uses his glaive to deflect the beam, splitting it into several beams, cutting up Edinburgh's ancient stone like butter, until one branch finally reflects back at Vision, slamming him into the wall behind him.

Down below, Wanda has blocked Proxima's staff once again when she hears an agonized cry from Vision. Desperation strengthens her to throw Proxima through the burning lorry sliced in half by the split Stone beam, stunning the alien. Wanda then flies up to the roof where Glaive has pinned Vision and is again attempting to remove the Mind Stone.

"Hands off." Wanda barks, threateningly. 

Wanda casts a bolt of magic which throws Corvus back through the wall and down a shaft, then flies the two of them away again. Proxima, who has recovered, shoots a bolt from her weapon, causing them to fall from the air and down through the roof of Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. Wanda crawls over to Vision, who cannot muster the strength to stand.

"Come on. Come on. Come on, you gotta get up. You gotta get up. Come on. Hey. Hey. We have to go." Wanda quietly pleads. 

"Please. Please leave." he begs. 

"You asked me to stay... I'm staying." She insists. 

"Please."

"Get up."

Behind them, Proxima and Corvus crash through the roof and advance on them, brandishing their weapons. Wanda moves protectively in front of Vision, building power in her hands.

An express train passes behind Wanda, and Proxima cocks her head as if aware of another's presence. Confused, Wanda also turns and looks over her left shoulder. As the last train car passes, we see a silhouette on the far side of the platform. Proxima throws her weapon at the shadowy figure, but it is deftly caught just before the figure steps from the shadows.

We now recognize a bearded and furious Steve Rogers as he steps into the light. Vision and Wanda look hopeful and relieved. While all parties are distracted, Sam Wilson swoops in and kicks Proxima across the platform and through the closed café's security gate and furniture. Swooping around, he fires on Corvus.

At the same time, Captain America throws Proxima's weapon to Natasha Romanoff who engages Corvus, ducking under his swing, stabbing him in the gut and executing a flying kick to knock him backwards.

Proxima, who has rushed back to the fight, summons her weapon back to her hand and attacks Black Widow. Captain America leaps forward, rolls, scoops up Corvus's dropped glaive and holds her off. Black Widow joins in with her own escrima sticks. While the three are fighting, Falcon returns and again kicks Proxima backwards; she scuttles over to the prone Corvus. Falcon draws both of his Steyr SPP submachine pistols on the couple.

"Get up." Proxima Midnight commands to her fallen fellow soldier.

"I can't." He painfully responds. 

"We don't wanna kill you. But we will." Natasha says coldly. 

Midnight smirks at the threat, "You'll never get the chance again."

Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive depart as they are beamed up. The glaive is snatched from Cap's hand as well.

Sam rushes to Vision's side, "Can you stand?"

"Thank you, Captain." Vision says as electricity shimmers over his surface, and his voice distorts. 

Let's get you on the jet."

"I thought we had a deal. Stay close, check in. Don't take any chances." Natasha addresses Wanda immediately as they enter the jet.

I'm sorry. We just wanted time." Wanda apologies, though it's obvious she's not really sorry. She goes o sit with Vision. 

"Where to, Cap?" Sam asks from the Captain's seat. 

Steve hesitates for a moment and thinks of the possible places they can go. While they could go to Wakanda, it would be too risky to go to one place too often. He thinks for a moment and sees a building with a giant A on the front of it. and a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist standing in the lawn. 

"Home." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i warned you about how gay this was going to be! prepare for more stony, winterfalcon, thorbruce, and geniuswitch. 
> 
> (mainly winterfalcon because THEY ARE SEVERLY UNDERRATED) 
> 
> don't prepare for heavy ironstrange though im still salty *insert pretends to be shocked gif*
> 
> ~A.M


	6. Fights On a Space Doughnut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> endgame? more like end me. anyway enjoy a slightly longer chapter because maddie made this title without warning me :)~A.M
> 
> im not crying. My eyes are just sweating:) ~Maddie🎈🐺

(Flashback in Zen-Whoberi with bby gamora and eggplant)

As a Young Gamora and her mother wait in a room, hiding from Thanos.

“Shh. We’ll be safe. We’ll be safe” her mother says

But as soon as she said this a loud crash hits the surface. Gamora screams and her mother covers her mouth hoping no one heard her. That’s when Ebony Maw opens the door and Gamora sees everything. Her planet was destroyed.

“Zehobereians...” Ebony said

Young Gamora was snatched from her mother and into the hands of Thanos’ trust worthy “child”

“Mother! Where’s my mother!” Gamora hit Ebony and tried to escape

“Choose a side, or die” Ebony gave the choice

But Gamora didn’t listen

“Mother!” Gamora yells in fear and was let go by Ebony

“One side is revelation. The other is an honor known only to a few.” Ebony said

That’s when Gamora finds herself in the presence of Thanos 

“What’s wrong, little one?” Thanos asked the young girl.

“My Mother! Where is my mother!” She yelled

Thanos kneels down

“What’s your name?” Thanos asked

“Gamora” she said hesitantly 

“You’re quite the fighter, Gamora.” Thanos said as he pulls out a double sided knife 

“Look. Pretty, isn't it? Perfectly balanced. As all things should be. Too much to one side, or the other…” He finished 

Thanos gives her the knife and lets her try to balance it

“Now go in peace, and meet your maker” Ebony said

One half of the crowd is shot and on the the floor. Gamora then was trying to look but Thanos stopped her.

“Concentrate. There! You’ve got it!” He said as she smiled

————————

(yeet back to the future)

Gamora stands, brooding and watching out the window. She plays with the dagger that was given to her so long ago. 

"Gamora. Do you know if these grenades are the "blow off your junk" kind or the gas kind? 'Cause I was thinking I might hang a couple on my belt right here. But I don't want to-" Peter rambles, interrupting her thoughts.

"I need to ask a favour." Gamora says, interrupting his rambling

"Yeah, sure." He immediately agrees.

"One way or another, the path that we're on leads to Thanos." She says gravely.

"Which is what the grenades are for." He sasses but stops once Gamora gives an exasperated look, "I'm sorry, what's the favor?"

Gamora sighs deeply, "If things go wrong… If Thanos gets me… I want you to promise me… you'll kill me." She says slowly.

There's a moment of silence as Peter processes what she's asking of him. "What?" He asks, not entirely sure he heard her correctly. 

"I know something he doesn't. If he finds out… The entire Universe could be at risk."

Peter asks, "What do you know?"

"If I tell you, you'd know too." She vaguely respond in fear of putting him in danger as well.

Quill tries to hide his confusion, "If it's so important, shouldn't I know?"

Gamora shakes her head, "Only if you wanna die too."

"Why does somebody always have to die in this scenario?"

Gamora sighs to herself, "Just… trust me. And possibly, kill me."

"I mean, I'd like to. I really would…" He responds, trying to explain but thankfully Gamora silences him by covering his mouth with her hand.

"Swear to me. Swear to me on your mother."

Peter realizes just how important this is to her, he misses a beat. One that rests with him significantly, "Okay."

Gamora lets out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding, the two kiss, until an odd crunching sound startles them. apart, they turn to see Drax is standing in the corner.

"Dude. How long have you been standing there?" Peter complains. 

Drax just shrugs, "An hour."

"An hour? Are you serious?" He exclaims incredulously. 

"I've mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still... That I become invisible to the eye... Watch." Drax stands motionless, then very slowly raises his hand towards his mouth.

"You're eating a zarg-nut." Peter says

Drax shakes his head slowly, "But my movement... was so slow... that it's imperceptible."

Peter sighs, "Mmm, no."

Quill and Gamora shake their heads.

"I'm sure I'm invisible."

Mantis appears next to him, "Hi, Drax."

Drax realizes he's been beat, "Damn it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Benatar flies towards a massive skull and flies through one eyehole into a vast interior cavern. The Guardians have arrived to KNOWHERE. 

"This place looks deserted." Peter remarks as he looks around. 

"I'm reading movement from the third quadrant." Drax says.

Peter nods in agreement, "Yep. I'm picking that up, too. Let's put it down right here."

The four Guardians disembark and sneak into the Collector’s collection room, which is in ruins. Thanos is threatening the Collector while the Guardians hide behind rubble.

"I don't have it." The Collector cowers. 

"Everyone in the Galaxy knows you'd sell your own brother if you thought it would add the slightest trinket to your pathetic collection." Thanos remarks. 

Quill stops, and holds up a fist meaning 'halt' in the silent language of soldiers. Everybody walks quietly past him. Quill shakes his head before following them. 

"I know you have the Reality Stone, Tivan. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering." Thanos places a heavy boot on the middle of the Collector's chest and presses.

The Collector struggles to breathe, he says in a strained voices, "I told you. I sold it. Why would I lie?"

"I imagine it's like breathing for you." Thanos snarky remarks

The Collector is quick to shake is head and disagreement, "Like suicide."

"So you do understand. Not even you would surrender something so precious."

"I didn't know what it was."

"Then you're more of a fool than I took you for. Last chance, charlatan. Where's the Stone?"

It's at this moment, Drax decides that he has had enough and begins to advance towards him, "Today..."

Peter, grasping the danger, and tries to hold him back, "Drax. Drax." 

Drax ignores him, "...he pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter."

"Drax, waaaaait!" Peter exclaims desperately. Drax draws his long dagger from his leg scabbard. "Not yet, not yet, not yet." Drax gives him a look and heads towards Thanos. Quill hurries as quietly as possible to catch up. "Drax, Drax, Drax. He doesn't have the Stone yet. We get it, and then we can stop him. We have to get the Stone first. Yeah."

Drax furiously shakes his head, "No. No. For Ovette. For Camaria."

Quill starts to struggle with Drax when Mantis puts her hand on the back of Drax's head

"Sleeeep." She quickly commands. Drax is knocked out, his falling body causing a loud crash. Everybody ducks.

Thanos looks towards the sound, then picks up the Collector and throws him into a collecting case before walking towards the disturbance

Peter Quill quickly begins to give order everyone, "Okay. Gamora, Mantis, you go right. I'm..."Gamora moves towards Thanos, "The other right!"

Gamora leaps on Thanos from a stack of boxes, swinging her sword at him. He snaps the swordblade in half, and Gamora stabs him in the throat with the stub, his lower jaw sagging and himself letting out a hoarse groan, then he is stabbed in the chest with the red-jewelled dagger.

"Why?" Thanos groans as he falls down, "Why you? Daughter…" He holds his hand out to her, blood pooling out from his neck wound, before collapsing completely. Gamora breaks down, sobbing.

"That was quick." Peter remarks in surprise. 

Collector enthusiastically claps, "Magnificent! Magnificent! Magnificent!"

"Is it sadness I sense in you, daughter? In my heart, I knew you still cared. But one ever knows for sure. Reality is often disappointing." Suddenly, Thanos's disembodied voice fills the room.

The scene disappears - everything in the room is destroyed and/or on fire, the Collector waving bye-bye as he and his case vanish.

"That is, it was. Now… Reality can be whatever I want." Thanos, alive and well, and with the reality stone seated nicely in the infinity gauntlet. 

Gamora looks up at Thanos,[her face still wet, but no longer crying], and scoffs, "You knew I'd come." 

Thanos nods at her, "I counted on it. There's something we need to discuss, little one."

Gamora hesitates for a beat, then reaches for her broken sword. Thanos grabs her by the back of the neck and swings her around in front of him.

Drax calls out, "Thanos!"

With a pulse of the Reality Stone, both Drax and Mantis are 'disassembled' -- Drax is turned into a stack of tumbling cubes, and Mantis becomes a ribbon version of herself.

Peter Quill quickly starts Moving in, his blaster pointed right at Thanos, "Let her go, Grimace!"

Gamora flinches, "Peter…" 

Peter Quill turns to Gamora with wet eyes, "I told you to go right." 

Gamora rolls her eyes, "Now? Really?"

"You let her go!" Peter yells, turning his attention to the life sized purple eggplant emoji that's standing in front of him. 

Thanos smirks and sigh, "Ah, the boyfriend."

"I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing long-term booty call." Peter seems to think that this is a good time to remark before he suddenly turns serious, "Let her go."

"Peter…" Gamora groans. 

"Or I'm gonna blow that nutsack of a chin right off your face!" He accurately describes and points his blaster at Thanos.

Gamora shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes once again, "Not him."

Quill hesitates before turning his blaster towards Gamora. He does not shoot anyone

"You promised! You promised." She hoarsely shouts. 

Thanos shakes his head, "Oh, daughter. You expect too much from him." He turns his attention to Quill, "She's asked, hasn't she? Do it." There is a very tense and unpleasant pause. Thanos rolls his head and shoves Gamora towards Quill’s gun, egging him on. "DO IT!!" He yells. 

Peter Quill starts tearing up, "I told you to go right."

"I love you, more than anything." 

"I love you, too."

(oh shit) 

Quill screws up his eyes and pulls the trigger - but a stream of bubbles comes out. Thanos was playing him.

"I like you." Thanos says, genuinely sincere

Thanos teleports Gamora and himself away as a stunned Quill picks up Gamora's sword, and his friends painfully re-assemble themselves, the Reality Stone's effects now subsiding in its absence.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back on Earth, the quinjet arrives at the upstate New York Avengers HQ while Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes deals with the red tape in the holographic person of Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (Lt. Gen., USA Ret.

“Still no word from Vision?” Secretary Ross asks. 

James Rhodes shakes his head, Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh.” 

Ross sighs in disappointment, “On a stolen quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals.”

Rhodes shakes his head disappointment back, “You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?” He remarks like the badass he is. 

Ross scoffs, “My God, Rhodes, your talent for horseshit rivals my own.” 

“If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here.”

(so would a majority of the avengers but okay) 

“I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel.” 

”That's right. And I'm pretty sure I've paid for that.”He remark bitterly. He walks around the desk and we get a good look at his leg braces Tony made for him. 

Ross sighs and tries not to respond directly about the soldier’s legs, “You have second thoughts?”

Rhodes smirks and shakes his head, “Not anymore.” 

Ross looks at him confusion. The confusion changes to slight anger and surprise when the fugitive Avengers enter the room, Vision supported by Falcon.

Steve nods in the direction of the hologram, “Mr. Secretary.”

“You got some nerve. I'll give you that.” Ross says, voice tight. 

“You could use some of that right now.” Natasha remarks, referring to their current crisis. 

“The world's on fire. And you think, all is forgiven?”

Steve looks at the hologram with a cold stare, “I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission.” He pauses moment before, “Earth just lost her best defender.” He says, referring to Tony’s recent disappearance. “So we're here to fight.“ Cap takes a step forward, looking right at Ross. “And if you wanna stand in our way... we'll fight you, too.

Ross shakes his head and faces Rhodes, “Arrest them.”

Rhodes nods mockingly, “All over it.” He swipes off hologram; the computer beeps twice. “That's a court-martial. It's great to see you, Cap.”

Steve smiles gratefully and hugs War Machine, “You too, Rhodey.” He steps away, allowing Black Widow gets her own embrace. 

“Well. You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years.” He jokes. 

Sam smiles at the man, “Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star.”

“Uh, I think you look great.” The familiar voice of Bruce Banner chimes in. Rhodes and Natasha long round to see Bruce walking in from the opposite end of the room. “Uh... heh... Yeah. I'm back.”

Natasha stiffens and gives him a tight smile, “Hi, Bruce.” 

Bruce returns the smile and nods, “Nat.”

“This is awkward.” Sam whispers and everyone gives him a smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to a shot of Natasha, Bruce, Steve, Rhodey, Wanda, and Vision in another room.

“So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?” Rhodey asks after the group finishes retelling all of the information to him. 

“And they can clearly find us.” Wanda remarks. 

“We need all hands on deck.“ Bruce says and turns to Natasha, “Where's Clint?”

Natasha shrugs, “After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families, they're on house arrest.”

Bruce nods in understanding before asking, “Who's Scott?”

“Ant-Man.” Steve answers. 

“There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?” He asks incredulously and sighs when Steve nods in confirmation. “Okay, look… Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. And he is not gonna stop until he... he gets... Vision's Stone.” He says looking towards the android. 

“Well then, we have to protect it.” Natasha says firmly, Wanda looks at her gratefully. 

Vision groans and shakes his head, “No, we have to destroy it. I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to its own signature, perhaps… Its molecular integrity could fail.” Vision addresses Wanda as he nears her. 

“And you, with it. We're not having this conversation.” Wanda says as if she’s talking to child. 

Vision shakes his head again, “Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it.” 

“That's too high a price.” Wanda argues. FORGETTING HALF THE FREAKING UNIVERSE IS AT STAKE okay i’m done, carry on. 

Vision takes her face gently in both hands, “Only you have the power to pay it.” Wanda shakes her head and walks away, distressed. “Thanos threatens half the Universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him.”

Steve, eyes diverted down from Wanda and Vision’s exchange, “But it should.” He finally looks up at Vision. “We don't trade lives, Vision.”

Vision begins walking toward Steve, “Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?”

he didn’t have anything else to lose

Steve takes a breath, but before he has a chance to answer, Bruce speaks. “Because you might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another.” 

Wanda perks up, “You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?”

“I'm saying that if we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts.” Bruce says. 

“Can we do that?” Natasha asks. 

Bruce shakes his head, “Not me. Not here.”

“You better find someone, and somewhere fast. Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back.” Rhodey says. 

Steve thinks for a moment before blurting, “I know somewhere.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to rural Wakanda, as T'Challa, Hecate, and Okoye walk together, accompanied by two Kingsguard. 

“You'll have the Kingsguard, and the Dora Milaje have been alerted.” Okoye informs. 

“And the Border Tribe?” T’Challa asks. 

“Those that are left.” Okoye remarks

T'Challa nods, ”Send word to the Jabari as well. M'Baku likes a good fight.”

“And what of this one?” Okoye says, gesturing to the man in front of them. 

Hecate smiles at the man in question, “This one may be tired of war.” 

Bucky Barnes is seen at a small distance throwing a bag from a pile on the ground onto a partly-filled cart, while two village children watch. 

“But the White Wolf has rested long enough.” T’Challa says. 

The party reaches Bucky. The man smiles up at them but brightens once he sees his old friend, “Hecate!” 

“Hey, Buck!” She smiles before moving in to hug him. The hug for a moment and then part. 

Hecate backs away as a Kingsguardsman sets an elaborate and high-tech-looking equipment case down on the cart, opens the lid, and steps back. As the Winter Soldier approaches, he sees a new vibranium arm in the case. 

Bucky’s face goes grim with resignation, “Where's the fight?”

T'Challa, Okoye, and Hecate sigh before saying, “On its way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Ebony Maw interrogating Doctor Strange. Strange is floating horizontally, face down, and is surrounded by dozens of glassy needles, each about two feet long. 

“In all the time I've served Thanos, I've never failed him. If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, there would be...judgement.” Ebony rambles as the needles start to contact Strange's face, causing an obviously painful whitish subcutaneous glow at each touch. “Give me... the stone.” He demands before applying more pressure. 

Cut to Iron Man who is watching, hidden, from above. The Cloak of Levitation taps Stark on the arm. He raises his hand to it, ready to shoot, but he sees what it is and stands down.

“Wow you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?” Tony says, kind of in aw of the cloak. 

“Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty...” A suspiciously familiar voice says. 

Iron Man and the Cloak turn to face Spider-Man and FireStorm dropping down from above. 

Tony Stark goes wide eyed, looking at the teenagers as they drop down, What the-“ 

“I know what you're gonna say.” Peter says, quickly. 

“Neither of you should not be here!” Tony snaps at the teens. 

“We were gonna go home -“ Tyler starts. 

“I don't wanna hear it. Or else I’ll be hearing it from Hecate when we get back until I die!” Tony interrupts her. 

“But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you on the way -“ She tried to explain anyway. 

“And now I gotta hear it.” Tony says, exasperated. 

The Cloak shakes its collar in sympathy and shrugs. (we stan this cloak) 

“And we kinda stuck to the side of the ship. And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way. So if anything, it's kinda your fault that we’re here.” Peter says before immediately trying to backtrack. 

The Cloak looks shocked. 

Tony is quick to take the disappointed dad pose, “What did you just say?”

Peter is quick to take the defensive teen stance and nervously laughs, “I take that back. And now we’re here in space.” 

The Cloak and Tyler stand to the side and watch the interaction as if it’s a tennis tournament. 

Tony just nods to himself, “Yeah.” Iron Man crosses to stand right in front of Spidey. “Right where I don't want you to be. This isn't Coney Island. This isn't a field trip. It's one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend like you thought this through. You could not have possibly thought this through.”

“No. I did think this through.” Peter interrupts. 

“You could not have possibly thought this through.” Tony repeats. 

“It's just- You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man when there's no neighborhood.” Peter says and he waits for Iron Man's reaction and watched both Tony and Tyler scrunch their face up confusion. “Okay. That didn't really make any sense, but you know what I'm trying to say.” 

Tony nods and breaths shakily. ”Come on. We got a situation.” He leads Peter and Tyler over to a viewpoint on the torture below. Spidey crouches to study the situation, the Cloak leaning over his shoulder. lSee him down there? He's in trouble. What's your plan? Go.”

“Um. Okay, okay...uh....” Peter studies.

Tyler and the Cloak suddenly pop back upright, “Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens?” 

The Cloak lifts its collar in surprise. 

Cut back to Ebony Maw interrogating Strange, who groans loudly.

“Painful aren't they? They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them...” Ebony muses. At the "thump" behind him, Maw turns to see Iron Man standing there, hand repulsors ready to fire. “...could end your friend's life in an instant.” 

Tony Stark: I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more a professional courtesy.

Ebony Maw walks slowly towards Iron Man, beckoning very large, very solid metal objects to float behind him “You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.” 

Tony shrugs in response, “Yeah, but the kids’ have seen more movies.” 

Iron Man fires a rocket from his shoulder which pierces the side of the ship to Maw's right and begins to suck everything out with depressurization, especially Maw and his large objects. Strange is pulled loose of his pinnings, loses the needles, but also heads for the hole, helpless to resist. The Cape wraps around his arm and an anchor point, but Strange's arm slips loose and he keeps going. Spider-Man shoots a web strand at Strange with one hand and holds onto a piece of the ship with the other. It breaks, sending them both towards space when his Iron-Spider suit's metal arms brace him to keep him from being sucked out. Fortunately, Strange is still surrounded by the ship's atmosphere making haste to leave. 

“Yes! Wait what are those?!” Peter shouts excitedly. 

Spider-Man crouches with his new spider-legs, and makes a mighty leap to pulls them both back inside. FireStorm quickly closes the hole. Strange safely, if emphatically, hits the floor and Tyler rushes to heal his injuries. Ebony Maw is seen floating in space, quite dead, ice from the escaped atmosphere frosting over his grimace. Spider-Man lands on his new legs, retracts them, and finds the Cape "standing" next to him.

“Hey, we haven't officially met.” Peter offers the Cape his hand to shake. It ignores his offer and continues to Strange. “Cool.” He says as if it didn’t hurt. 

Tony walks past Strange, shaking his head and with his armor retreating into its containment as Strange gets to his feet and becomes en-Cloaked. 

"We've gotta turn this ship around." Strange states the obvious. 

Tony rolls his eyes, "Yeah. Now he wants to run. Great plan."

Strange rolls his own eyes, "No, I want to protect the stone."

Tony walks towards the expansive front viewport, showing a hyperspeed/warp effect, "And I want you to thank me now. Go ahead, I'm listening." He says, irritably

"For what? Nearly blasting me into space?" Strange snaps.

"Who just saved your magical ass? Me." Tony snaps back as Tyler and Peter exchange a look. 

"I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet."

"Admit it. You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused."

"Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you."

"And due to that fact, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup."

they're gonna kill each other before thanos even gets to them

Peter and Tyler raise their hands and smile, "I'm backup."

Tony whips towards them, "No. You're a stowaway" He snaps and waggles a finger between himself and Strange, "The adults are talking." The Teens roll their eyes slightly. 

Strange looks between the teens and Tony, "I'm sorry, I'm confused as to the relationship here. Wh-what are they , your wards?"

Peter and Tyler shake their head.

"No. I'm Peter, by the way."

"I'm Tyler, or Firestorm."

"Doctor Strange." He introduces himself to the teens he is unfortunate enough to have to work with.

"Oh, we're using our made-up names. Um... I'm Spider-Man, then." Peter rushes to say and Tyler and Tony roll their eyes. 

"This ship is self-correcting its course. Thing's on autopilot." Tony changes the subject. 

Strange: walks closer to Tony, "Can we control it? Fly us home?" He doesn't realize that Tony is lost in bad memories and does not respond right away, "Stark?"

"Yeah?" Tony asks, not looking at anyone at the moment. 

"Can you get us home?" Strange repeats. 

Tony sighs, still not facing anyone, "Yeah I heard you. I'm thinking...I'm not so sure we should."

Strange sighs in frustration, "Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos. I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here."

Tony stalks over to Strange, "No. It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?"

Doctor Strange pauses and holds Tony's eyes for a moment, "Alright , Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand... if it comes to saving you or the kids or the Time Stone... I will not hesitate to let any of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it."

Tony tries not to focus on the image of the kids dying, "Nice. Good. Moral compass. We're straight." He then steps over to Peter and Tyler, he formally taps each of their shoulders with the edge of his hand, dubbing them as is done at a knighting, "Alright, kids. You're Avengers now." He doesn't look at them as he says those words, knowing well what he is signing them up for.

Peter and Tyler looks at Tony in disbelief, and then cycles through delight, satisfaction, pride and determination, and brace themselves for what's to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screams*
> 
> okay see ya next time 
> 
> ~A.M.


	7. Edge of Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't think i need to say what's going to be in this
> 
> and yes, i know, a slightly fucked up title
> 
> ~A.M. 

Cut to Thanos's mothership, Sactuary II, which dwarfs the massive ring-ships the Black Order have been using. Gamora sits near the throne deep inside the ship. Thanos walks up, bringing a cup of food and holds it out to her.

"I thought you might be hungry." Thanos says gently.

Gamora takes it, then hurls it across the room where it bangs against Thanos's throne with a loud clack. "I always hated that chair." She says with a grimace. 

Thanos smiles, "So I've been told. Even so. I'd hoped you'd sit on it one day."

"I hated this room. This ship. I hated my life." She recalls, looking back at her past. 

Thanos' smiles widens, "You told me that too." He mounts two of the four steps to his throne, turns, and sits on the second from the top. "Every day. For almost twenty years."

"I was a child when you took me." Gamora growls. 

Thanos' smile falls, "I saved you." He snaps. 

Gamora rolls her eyes and scoffs, "No. No. We were happy on my home planet."

"Going to bed hungry, scrounging for scraps. Your planet was on the brink of collapse. I'm the one who stopped that. Do you know what's happened since then? The children born have known nothing but full bellies and clear skies. It's a paradise." Thanos recalls of the planet he believes he saved. 

"Because you murdered half the planet."

"A small price to pay for salvation."

Gamora rolls her eyes, "You're insane."

"Little one, it's a simple calculus. This universe is finite, its resources finite. If life is left unchecked, life will cease to exist. It needs correction." He explains. 

"You don't know that!" She yells. 

Thanos scowls as his egotistical narcissism prevents him from fully listening to her, "I'm the only one who knows that. At least, I'm the only one with the will to act on it." he stands again and walks back to Gamora. "For a time you had that same will as you fought by my side. Daughter."

"I'm not your daughter. Everything I hate about myself, you taught me." She snaps. 

"And in doing so, made you the fiercest woman in the galaxy. That's why I trusted you to find the Soul Stone." 

Gamora's heart stops for a moment before straightening up, "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

"I am disappointed. But not because you didn't find it." He leans down to put their heads at a level, whispering fiercely. "But because you did. And you lied."

Thanos and Gamora stand outside a large solid door that slides open vertically as they approach, then pause as a set of inner doors made of interlacing metal slide away. Inside, we see Nebula face-on, suspended horizontally in the air in the middle of the room, her breath shuddering in pain.

"Nebula." Gamora gasps as she hurries to to Nebula's left side, and we now see that she has been partially disassembled, her components stretched apart -- a cybernetic version of the medieval torture rack. 

"Don't do this." Gamora says, tears forming in her eyes. 

"Some time ago, your sister snuck aboard this ship to kill me." Thanos says. you deserve it and so does she. petition to let nebula kill thanos

"Please don't do this." Gamora pleads.

He ignores Gamora's pleas, "And very nearly succeeded. So I brought her here. To talk." Thanos curls his gauntleted fist, activating both the Power and Space Stones, scowling -- causing Nebula's already extended pieces to stretch further outward. She begins to scream.

Gamora cringes and immediately shouts, "Stop. Stop it." She puts her hands on the gauntlet, pulling it down, "I swear to you on my life. I never found the Soul Stone." She hopes no one can tell how bad she's lying.

Thanos signals a nearby servant who taps on a control pad. We hear Nebula's voice say, "Accessing memory files" and a sort of hologram of Gamora's face shudders to life.

"You know what he's about to do. He's finally ready, and he's going for the stones. All of them." A holographic Nebula informs. 

The holographic Gamora shakes her head, "He can never get them all."

"He will!" Nebula insists. 

"He can't, Nebula. Because I found the map to the Soul Stone and I burnt it to ash. I burnt it." 

The memory ends.

Thanos ,to Gamora, walking around behind her, "You're strong. Me. You're generous. Me. But I never taught you to lie. That's why you're so bad at it." His voice is dripping with disgust. "Where is the Soul Stone?" He growls and then raises his gauntlet next to Gamora's face. Nebula shakes her head, expression terrified, to encourage her sister's silence but when Gamora does not answer, Thanos clenches the gauntlet again, brow furrowed at his adopted daughter as the Power and Space Stoes are reactivated. Gamora grimaces in shared pain at her sister's screams, growing louder as Thanos increases the pressure.

"Vormir!" She shouts, in pain. Thanos unclenches his hand, and Nebula gasps in air as her parts snap back almost into place. Gamora goes to her and caresses her face. "The Stone is on Vormir." She whimpers. 

Thanos, finally satisfied, he grins. "Show me."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to the pod taking Thor, Rocket and Groot to Nidavellir.

"I am Groot." Groot complains, irritable. 

Rocket rolls his eyes and snaps, "Tinkle in the cup. We're not looking. What's there to see? What's a twig? Everybody's seen a twig."

Groot, still irritably, complains. "I am Groot."

Thor, while looking out the rear portholes, "Tree, pour what's in the cup out in space, and go in the cup again." He says, nonchalant about the fact he can understand. 

Rocket looks up at him in shock, "You speak Groot?"

"Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective." Thor says, as if it's no big deal. 

"I am Groot." Groot says, impatiently. 

"You'll know when we're there. Nivadellir's forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star." He smils and then continues, nostalgically, "It's the birth place of my hammer. It's truly awesome." Thor informs, at first happily reminiscing but then turns sad. 

Rocket turns to see Thor sitting sadly beside the window, and sighs. Rocket then says to himself, "Okay, time to be the captain." He walks to a console near by Thor, presses two buttons, activating autopilot. "So, dead brother, huh? Yeah, that can be annoying." He tries. 

Thor shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant and strong, "Well, he's been dead before, but this time I think it really might be true."

"And you said your sister and your dad?" Rocket asks. 

Thor shrugs, "Both dead."

"Still got a mom, though?" Rocket flinches. 

"Killed by a dark elf."

"A best friend?"

"Stabbed through the heart."

"Are you sure you're up to this particular murder mission?" Rocket questions, shocked by how much loss Thor has gone through. 

Thor, smiling widely, but also trying to convince himself. "Absolutely. Rage, vengeance, anger, loss, regret...They're all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So I'm good to go."

"Yeah, but this Thanos we're talking about...He's the toughest there is."

Thor smiles confidently, "Well, he's never fought me."

Rocket looks confused for a moment, "... Yeah, he has!"

"He's never fought me twice. And I'm getting a new hammer, don't forget."

"Better be some hammer." Rocket says. 

"You know, I'm 1,500 years old. I've killed twice as many enemies as that, and every one would have rather killed me, but none succeeded. I'm only alive because fate wants me alive. Thanos is the latest in a long line of bastards and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so."

"And what if you're wrong?"

Thor, yet again, tries to appear indifferent, "If I'm wrong then... what more could I lose?" Thor sniffs and hastily wipes below his eye. He stands and seats himself at the front of the pod, beside Groot.

Rocket then says, under his breath, "I could lose a lot. Me personally. I could lose a lot." Rocket takes an eyeball from somewhere on his person. "Okay. If fate does want you to kill that crapsack... You're gonna need more than one stupid eyeball." He gives Thor the eyeball. 

"What's this?" Thor questions. 

"What's it look like? Some jerk lost a bet with me on on Contraxia." Rocket shrugs, no big deal.

"He gave you his eye?" Thor questions. 

Rocket smirks "He gave me 100 credits. I snuck in later that night and stole his eye." He recounts.

Thor smiles, "Thank you, sweet rabbit." Thor proceeds to put the eyeball in his socket. 

"Hmm. Huh? Oh. I would've washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my..." Rocket is rushes to say but is interrupted by beeping, "Hey, we're here!"

Thor, smacking his palm against the side of his head to get the eye calibrated. "I don't think this thing works. Everything seems dark."

Rocket peers out the pod's window, "It ain't the eye."

Nidavellir is dark and motionless as the three rings around it.

"Something's wrong. The star's gone out. And the rings are frozen." Thor states, concerned. 

The pod flies through massive machinery, cold and inert. Screen title: NIDAVELLIR

The pod sets down; Thor, Rocket and Groot disembark and start walking through a seemingly abandoned and cluttered space. Groot is still playing his game.

"I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning. Maybe they realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space." Rocket jokes. 

"This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries..." Thor trails off, concerned and confused. 

Rocket pauses, looking at a pedestal, "You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?"

"Yes. Why?" Thor says, still looking around. 

"Look anything like that?" Rocket points, in fact, it looks exactly like that.

"I am Groot." Groot says, uneasy. poor baby

Thor urgently yells and tries to push Groot and Rocket back, "Go back to the pod."

Suddenly a massive figure storms towards them, flinging Thor away with one swing of his arm, and kicking Rocket and Groot against a wall of equipment. 

"Eitri, wait! Stop!" Thor yells. 

Eitri looks down at him in surprise, "Thor?"

"What happened here?" Thor asks. 

Eitri suddenly becomes angry, "You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us!" Eitri yells. 

"Asgard is destroyed." Thor scrambles to his feet and points. Eitri stop his attack on Thor. He now believes Thanos had destroyed Asgard and leaving him in a similar survivor role like Eitri himself. "Eitri, the glove. What did you do?"

Eitri walks brokenly across the space to sit heavily, leaning against an ore skip. Rocket and Groot get to their feet, the sapling checking his game. "300 dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked, they'd be safe. I made what he wanted. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. "Your life is yours." he said. "But your hands are mine alone." He holds up his immobile metal fists, encased in hardened molten metal. 

Thor is quick to interrupt and comforts, "Eitri, this isn't about your hands. Every weapon you've designed, every axe, hammer, sword...It's all inside your head. Now I know all hope feels lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to Nebula suspended in the interrogation room seen earlier, while a technician puts her back together. Nebula ejects her eyepiece and snaps the neck of the tech when he comes close enough to replace it. She walks to a console, straightening her left arm, dragging her still-dislocated right foot behind her, and inputs a code. "Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Titan."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to Peter Parker, Tyler O'Brien, Tony Stark, and Doctor Strange aboard the ship approaching the surface of Titan

Tyler turns to Tony, "Hey, what's going on?"

"I think we're here." Strange answers. 

"I don't think this rig has a self-park function." Tony urgently turns towards the teens, "Get your hand into this steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?"

Peter nods, "Yep, got it."

"This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta to move at the same time." Tony instructs, trying not to sound nervous. 

"Okay. Okay. Ready." The teens say. 

The ringship is heading straight for the center of what looks like one of a colossal game of jacks 

"We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!" Tyler yells.

Iron Man armors up as the ringship clips the "jack" obliquely, but still losing a good third of its hull in the collision. Spider-Man and FireStorm throw up their helmets at the same time. Strange steps between them and creates the Shield of the Seraphim around them all, anticipating a rough landing. The ship, now reduced to about 45%, plows through the dirt and stops, leaning slightly to one side. Screen title: TITAN.

Strange helps Tony, now de-helmeted, to his feet; they're both panting a little from the exertion of arrival.

Tony, to Strange, "You alright?" He pants. "That was close. I owe you one."

Spider-Man descends from above in classically spider-like fashion.

"Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something, and I end up eating you, I'm sorry." Peter says, truly concerned that this might be a real issue. Tyler scoffs and rolls her eyes. 

Tony, while pointing at Peter. "I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?" He reprimands the kid. Tyler snickers lightly. 

Peter tries to throw his hands up in surrender. "I'm trying to say that... something is coming."

A grenade rolls into view, and Peter, Tyler, Strange and Tony get thrown well back when it fires its energy pulse. Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis appear in the doorway. 

"THANOS!!!!" Drax yells fiercely as he flings a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflects it with a mystical shield, and in return sends the Cloak of Levitation at Drax's face, half-smothering him and throwing him to the floor. Star-Lord and Iron Man have a brief dogfight until a magnetic disc pins Iron Man face-first to a structure. 

Parker, crawling backwards frantically from an anxious-looking Mantis, "AH! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ME!"

Tyler rolls her eyes slightly before sending a nonfatal fire ball at the Empath, sending her flying back. 

Star-Lord flies at both Tyler and Parker feet-first, kicking both teens away.

"Stay down, clown!" Quill yells. 

Star-Lord can't quite counter spider reflexes at first; he fires at Spider-Man, who extends his spider legs and leaps away, but an electric-like cord wraps around Spidey and his six new legs when he tries to attack, sending him rolling across the deck. Tyler counter attacks with another fireball, only to be tied up as well. 

"Die, blanket of death!" Drax yells, struggling with the Cloak of Levitation.

Iron Man pulls free of the magnet; the Cloak pulls free of Drax as soon as Iron Man has a bead on his opponent and a foot on his torso. Star-Lord has Spider-Man in a head-lock, gun pointed at the smaller man's head. Doctor Strange has a mystical shield of golden energy up, and stands ready at the third point of the triangle. Mantis has struggled to her feet behind Star-Lord, still smoking slightly from the fire ball. 

"Alright, everybody, stay where you are... Chill the F out." Quill powers off his helmet, "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?" 

Tony, also dehelmeting. "Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?"

"I'll do you one better! Why is Gamora?!" Drax iconically says. 

"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French fry this little freak." Quill says, carelessly pointing his blaster towards the spider teen. Tyler makes a noice that suspiciously sounds like a growl, her hands begin glowing with fire, 

Tony shakes his head Tyler's direction, relief and surprise flood through him as she instantly cools down. He then snaps back to Quill, "Let's do it! You shoot my guy, I blast him. Let's go!" Tony extends his nanotech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face. 

"Do it, Quill! I can take it." Drax says, bravely and stupidly. 

"No he can't take it!" Mantis yells in support. 

Strange, completely deadpan, says. "She's right. You can't."

"Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all three of you and beat it out of Thanos myself." Quill snaps in concern boyfriend, and then turns to Spidey, "Starting with you."

Strange snaps up, "Wait, what. Thanos?" He, trying to inject clarity and sanity into the situation, continues. "All right, let me ask you this one time: What master do you serve?"

Quill rolls his eyes, "What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? "Jesus"?"

Tyler's eyes go wide, she's getting it, "You're from Earth?"

Peter Quill rolls his eyes again, "I'm not from Earth. I'm from Missouri."

Tony rolls his eyes this time, "Yeah, that's on EARTH, dip-shit." Peter's eyes go wide at the curse. "What are you hassling us for?"

Peter Parker, sounding oddly and slightly crushed, "So, you're not with Thanos?"

Peter Quill, indignantly, "WITH Thanos?! No, I'm here to kill Thanos! He took my girl. Wait... who are you?"

Parker, de-helmets, "We're the Avengers, man."

Peter Quill pauses and sags a bit in relief, "Oh."

"You're the ones Thor told us about!" Mantis gasps. 

Tony perks up at the mention of his teammate, thankful he's alive. "You know Thor!?"

Peter Quill nods and nonchalantly, shrugs, "Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking, needed saving." Parker grows more and more confused and offended in Thor's honor. 

"... Where is he now?" Strange asks. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Nivadellir where Eitri is showing Thor, Rocket, and Groot the mold for Stormbreaker.

"This is plan? We're gonna hit him with a brick?" Rocket incredulously asks. 

Eitri nods, not catching the disbelief, "It's a mold. A king's weapon. Meant to be the greatest in Asgard. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost."

"Did it have a name?" Thor asks before Rocket could potentially say something offensive. 

"Stormbreaker." Eitri answers. 

"That's a bit much." Rocket states. 

"So how do we make it?" Thor asks. 

Eitri points to the star, "You'll have to restart the forge. Awaken the heart of a dying star."

Thor considers for a moment and then, with a look of determination, he says, "Rabbit, fire up the pod."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Titan where the Avengers and the Guardians are starting to work together. Quill is measuring the planet's tilt.

"The heck happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place." Quill remarks, slightly astonished by the odd report. 

As he speaks about the gravitational pull, in the background, Mantis is jumping joyfully in a low gravity spot. 

"Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us. We'll use it. All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one. It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet." Tony plans. 

Drax yawns as Tony speaks.

Tony looks over at the Guardian, offended, and snaps, "Are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?"

"I stopped listening after you said, "We need a plan."" Drax remarks. 

Tony rolls his eyes and looks over to Quill, "Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page."

"See, "not winging it" isn't really what they do." Quill remarks. 

"Uh, what exactly is it that they do?" Tyler asks, gesturing towards the Guardians. 

Mantis looks about as fierce as a newborn kitten as she says, "Kick names, take ass."

"Yeah, that's right" Drax agrees quietly as he settles into a stance facing the Avengers.

Tony Stark pauses with an expression of deep hopelessness and exasperation, "Alright, just get over here, please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?"

Peter Quill scoffs, "'Mr. Lord.' Star-Lord is fine." He then motions for Drax and Mantis to come over, the two approach. 

"We gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude." Tony says. 

"Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means. Alright, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan, and that way it might be really good." Quill says. Parker and Tyler follow the conversation back and forth like a squash rally.

"Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe." Drax says. 

Tony gives the group a confused look, "What dance-off?"

"It's not a... it's not... it's nothing." Peter Quill stammers. 

Tyler lights up slightly, "Like in Footloose, the movie?"

Peter Quill suddenly becomes very excited, "Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?"

"It never was." Peter states.

Quill gives him a sad and offended look. 

"Don't encourage this, alright?" Tony tells the kids. 

"Okay." Peter and Tyler back off. 

"We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here." Tony snaps at Quill. 

"Flash Gordon? By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half human." Quill points at Stark, Tyler, and Parker. "So that 50% of me that's stupid? That's 100% you."

"Your math is blowing my mind." Tony smartly responds. 

"Excuse me, but... does your friend often do that?" Mantis interrupts, pointing to Strange. 

Tony looks over at Strange, frustrated with another interruption until he sees Strange is sitting cross-legged, floating slightly above the ground, his hands poised in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone glowing brightly in the Eye of Agamotto setting. Green vapor-like energy flows from the stone, and more intricate magical energy patterns circle Strange's forearms. The Cloak of Levitation flows behind him as if the Stone is creating a strong breeze. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling looking for something.

"Strange! We alright?" Tony loudly yells, Strange snaps out of his trance and falls forward, letting out a cry, they all rush to catch him, "You're back. You're alright." Tony tries to comfort.

"Hey, what was that?" Tyler asks, freaking out slightly. 

Strange, panting like a dog, says, "I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict."

Quill looks at him in confusion, "How many did you see?"

"14,000,605." Strange states. 

"How many did we win?" Tony questions and Strange snaps his head over to just him. 

Strange hesitates, staring just at Tony, "One."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Thanos and Gamora appearing on sand dunes alternating with shallow pools around the base of a mountain. The sun is in full eclipse, lending eerie lighting to the scene. Thanos and Gamora have arrived on VORMIR. 

"The stone had better be up there...For your sister's sake." Thanos hisses as Gamora turns to Glare up at him. 

The walk up the mountain seems to be long, but not difficult. Paths worn by centuries or more of feet lead up to the summit, where Thanos and Gamora encounter a floating hooded figure.

"Welcome, Thanos, son of A'lars. Gamora, daughter of Thanos." The hooded figure says. 

Thanos looks up at the figure in confusion, "You know us?" 

"It is my curse to know all who journey here." The figure vaguely says. 

"Where's the Soul Stone?" Thanos questions. 

"You should know... it extracts a terrible price."

Thanos stiffens and gravely states, "I am prepared."

"We all think that at first." The figure touches down and glides out of the shadows, revealing the face of who we know to be Johann "The Red Skull" Schmidt from Captain America: The First Avenger. "We are all wrong.

The Stonekeeper guides them to a temple-like structure at the summit.

"How is it you know this place so well?" Thanos questions, suspicious. 

"A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess." Red Skull states. 

They stop on a semicircular engraving overlooking a sheer drop. It decends in three shallow steps to a final half-circle cutout, the whole bisected by a deep cut that runs between the two spires behind them. Far, far below is a full circle with similar engraved decoration.

"What you seek lies before you. As does what you fear."

"What's this?" Thanos questions. 

"The price. Soul hold a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom." 

'Tell me what it needs.' Thanos demands. 

"To ensure that whoever possesses it... Understands its power... The stone demands a sacrifice."

"Of what?" Thanos asks, willing to do anything to achieve his destiny. 

"In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love. A soul...For a soul." Red Skull informs. 

Gamora begins to laugh at the irony of the situation.

"All my life, I dreamed of a day...A moment when you would get what you deserved. And I was always so disappointed. But now...You kill and torture...And you call it mercy. The universe has judged you. You asked it for a prize, and it told you no. You failed. And do you wanna know why? Because you love nothing. No one." She hisses with a bitter smile.

Thanos then turns to face Gamora with tears in his eyes.

Gamora scoffs, "Really? Tears?"

Red Skull shakes his head, "They're not for him."

Gamora looks at the Red Skull, and as her bitter smile fades, realizes what is about to happen, as do we...

"No. This isn't love." Gamora whispers, rightly so. 

Thanos, thoroughly convicted, "I ignored my destiny once. I cannot do that again. Even for you." Gamora stares down unseeing for a moment, then up at the resolution on his face. She grabs the red-jewelled dagger from his belt with lightning reflexes, triggers the blades and stabs herself in the stomach... except it's only bubbles. "I'm sorry, little one." And he grabs Gamora by the arm and walks inexorably to the precipice. 

"NO!" She shouts as she tries in vain to break from his grasp, much like she tried to pull free from the Child of Thanos so many years ago, but, pain showing clearly on his face, he throws her over the edge, and watches sorrowfully as she falls to her death. Light pulses overhead as the sacrifice is correctly accomplished.

Thanos finds himself lying in one of the shallow pools back at the base of the mountain. He opens his hand and sees that he now has the orange Soul Stone.


	8. Shine Bright Like a Diamond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to get this book done before endgame comes out so this story has taken priority over me tbh. especially since IM THE ONLY ONe UPDATING. jk mads has tried but her stuff is having some tech difficulties and it isnt saving.
> 
> okay im done, enjoy. 
> 
> ~A.M.

Cut to the quinjet where Sam is piloting Rhodey, Steve, Natasha, Wanda, and Vision.

Steve walks up to the pilot's seat, “Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0.” 

“I hope you're right about this, Cap. Or we're gonna land a lot faster than you want to.” Sam hopes. 

The Quinjet passes through a camouflage force field into Wakanda's Golden City's valley and lands at the airfield outside the palace. T'Challa and the Dora Milaje approach to greet the arrivals. 

“When you said we were going to open Wakanda to the rest of the world...This is not what I imagined.” Okoye states as she approaches with the Kingsguard and her king. 

T'Challa smirks, “And what did you imagine?” 

Okoye shrugs, “The Olympics. Maybe even a Starbucks.” 

The occupants of the Quinjet disembark, Cap and Black Widow leading, followed by Bruce and Rhodey, with Vision and Wanda slowly taking up the rear. 

Bruce turns to Rhodey, “Should we bow?” 

“Yeah, he's a king.” Rhodey very seriously says. 

“Seems like I'm always thanking you for something.” Steve jokes as he shakes T’Challa’s hand.

Bruce bows awkwardly to T'Challa. Rhodes looks at him in mock shocked, "What are you doing?"

T'Challa gives him an awkward chuckle, "Uh, we don't do that here." He dissuades Bruce with a motion of his hand; Bruce shoots Rhodey a look, and is answered with a big grin. "So how big of an assault can we expect?"

The group begins to walk back into the administrative building.

Bruce walks up beside T'Challa, "Uh, sir, I think you can expect quite a big assault."

"How we looking?" Natasha asks the King. 

"You will have my King's Guard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and..." T'Challa trails off. 

Bucky and Hecate walk up to their friends, smiling as they pass some Kingsguard taking Vision and Wanda to another facility. "A semi-stable, 100-year-old man and a goddess that's a smartass." 

All their friends share hugs, Hecate rushes over to Rhodey and hugs him tight. "Hey, Rhodeybear."

Rhodey rolls his eyes and hugs back, "Hey, Catie." He says, laughing. "Have you been in contact with Tones?"

Steve turns towards the two friends, waiting to hear the answer, he's as disappointed as the rest of them when Hecate shakes her head. "No, I haven't but he's okay and on a different planet."

Steve shakes his head and turns to his best friend, "How you been, Buck?"

Bucky shrugs and smiles, "Uh, not bad, for the end of the world."

In Shuri's lab, Shuri scans the Stone with her kimoyo beads while Vision lies on the examination table. She flips her hand over and studies the hologram projected over her palm.

"Whoa. The structure is polymorphic." Shuri says, shocked. 

"Right, we had to attach each neuron non-sequentially." Bruce points out. 

Shuri raises her eyebrow, "Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?"

Vision looks at Bruce as if to ask the same thing and Hecate smirks at Bruce's confused and surprised face. 

"Because, we didn't think of it." Bruce stutters.

Shuri kindly gives him a reassuring smile, "I'm sure you did your best."

"Can you do it?" Wanda speaks for the first time. 

Shuri nods, "Yes, but there are more than two trillion neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures." She turns to T'Challa, "It will take time, brother."

“How long?” Steve interjects. 

“As long as you can give me.” Shuri pleads the Captain. 

Okoye glances down as her kimoyo beads chime an alarm; she flicks one bead into her palm, where it projects the globe with a pulsing location marker, “Something's entered the atmosphere.” 

Outside, Falcon and Bucky look up at the sky as they watch the scene before them. 

Sam comes in over the Avengers' comm, “Hey, Cap, we got a situation here.”

The defense shield over the Golden City destroys one of the alien vessels when it slams into the field at full attack acceleration. 

Bucky grins over at Sam, “God, I love this place.” Sam grins back. 

Rhodey is also outside, and now in full War Machine armor watching three more ships burn through the sky. “Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys. We got more incoming outside the dome.” 

The shock waves and debris from the ship landings destroy acres of forest and boil up against the dome. The lab has an excellent view of the landing sites. Captain America and Black Panther look at each other in concern over the scope of what they'll be facing.

Vision, struggling to sit up and slide off the exam table, "It's too late. We need to destroy the stone now."

Natasha, moving toward Vision, “Vision, get your ass back on the table.” She demands. 

“We will hold them off.” T’’Challa Okoye and the guards begin to head for the door. They pause when they hear Steve’s conversation. 

Steve Rogers turns to Wanda, "Wanda, as soon as the stone's out of his head... you blow it to hell."

Hecate shakes her head, "It won't work with her magic."

Steve glances at her in question, "How do you mean?"

"Her magic is a type of chaos magic, the stone would barely even crack." Hecate says.

Wanda scoffs at her, " How would you know?" Her hands begin to be covered in a red mist, she glances in shock as they die down without her control. 

Hecate immediately glares, "Careful, little girl. Don't forget who created your magic." She hisses, hands going green for a moment before turning back to Steve, already calmed down, "Anyway, I created these stones. I know what to do." 

Everyone, even Shuri, stare at her in shock at the casual confession. "Anyway, I'll take care of the stone. It's easy when you know what you're doing." 

T'Challa clears his throat and begins giving orders, "Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures." T'Challa commands. He stops, turns, and points at Cap, "And get this man a shield."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Nivadellir where Rocket is in the pod, and Thor, without any environmental suit, jumps from the hull onto the ring surface with a cable in his hand attached to the pod. 

"I don't think you get the scientifics here. These rings are gigantic. You wanna get them moving, you're gonna need something a lot bigger to yank 'em loose." Rocket rambles to Thor over their comms that we didn't know they had. 

"Leave that to me." Thor says. 

Rocket looks up at him, confused, "Leave that to you? Buddy, you're in space. All you got is a rope and a-"

Thor begins to swing the pod around him in a circle. Rocket screams. Thor builds up speed with three good loops then slacks his grip enough to send the pod shooting straight away from Nidavellir, trailing him behind it like a kite tail. "Fire the engines!" He calls. 

Rocket shakes off the shock and puts the proverbial pedal to the metal. 

Thor, as the pod skims over the surface of the next ring out, Thor reaches down and digs one hand into the surface, then both feet, finally getting a foothold against the forward motion of the pod. The ice-like accumulation around the ring axis crackles. "MORE... POWER... RABBIT!"

Thor commits bicep porn while Rocket accelerates for all he's worth. Finally the rings spin free, realigning into effective configuration as the star bursts back into life.

"Well done, boy." Eitri excitedly praises. 

Thor, clutching the pod's forward windows, points to the star. Thor smiles widely, "That's Nivadellir!"

Rocket gazes amazed at the blazing core. An iris on the cladding around the star opens, firing pure stellar heat through the ring portals and into the forge... until the damaged mechanism fails, crumbles loose and slams shut. The iris closes and the beam of light trails off.

"Damn it." Eitri hisses. 

Rocket raises his eyebrow at Eitri, "'Damn it'? What's 'damn it'?"

"The mechanism is crippled." Eitri states, frustrated. 

"What?" Thor asks. 

"With the iris closed I can't heat the metal." 

"How long will it take to heat?" Thor says, formulating a plan that may or may not work, but hey, what does he have to lose? 

Eitri considers, "A few minutes, maybe more. Why?"

Thor, standing up on the pod hull, "I'm gonna hold it open."

"That's suicide." Eitri says. 

Thor shrugs and says matter of factly, "So is facing Thanos without that axe." He leaps from the pod to the star's iris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to the Wakandan battlefield. Carriers hover over the ground with Wakandan soldiers and Natasha, Steve and Bucky on board; War Machine and Falcon keep pace overhead, and Bruce is in the Hulkbuster armor.

"How we looking, Bruce?" Natasha checks in. 

Bruce, leaping jogging along, keeping up with the carriers, and utterly delighted. "Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Wow! It's like being the Hulk without actually-" He stumbles on a rock, and a carrier goes by, from which Okoye gives him a dubious look. He stands. " I'm okay. I'm okay."

Rhodey calls over the comm, "I got two heat signatures breaking through the tree line."

The heat signatures are Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian.

The carrier pilots swerve into U-turns, causing their craft to tilt and allowing the practiced soldiers to slide over one side into a run, never coming to a complete halt. A Dora Milaje shouts a command nearby as the last Wakandans join ranks.

"MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU!" M'Baku, Lord of the Jabari, rallies his soldiers with a war chant. He stops as T'Challa nears him. 

T'Challa clasps wrists with M'Baku. "Thank you for standing with us.” 

"Of course, brother." M'Baku nods in Xhosa. 

T'Challa, Cap, and Black Widow walk to the edge of the barrier, where Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian stand. Proxima tests the strength of the barrier by drawing her sword across it consideringly.

"Where's your other friend?" Natasha says, hiding her growing smirk. 

Proxima Midnight snarls, "You will pay for his life with yours. Thanos will have that stone."

"That's not gonna happen." Steve stubbornly says. 

"You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood." T'Challa calmly says, unknowingly predicting what is to come. 

"We... have blood to spare." Proxima Midnight says as she brandishes her sword with a snarl, and the ships behind her start raising their outer hulls to allow their "passengers" to disembark.

The three heroes return to the massed forces.

Bucky, a touch sardonically, "Did they surrender?" He asks, 

"Not exactly." Steve states, they were all expecting this. 

T'Challa leads the Wakandans in the war cry "Yibambe!" telling them to hold fast as the Outriders bound toward the barrier; Proxima drops her sword arm down in the signal to attack. 

Bucky, flatly, astonished at the numbers of Outriders. "What the hell."

"Looks like we pissed her off." Natasha says as the Outsiders, continue towards the barrier. 

"They're killing themselves." Okoye says, horrified, as the Outriders bombard the forcefield, squeezing limbs and bodies partly through only to be bisected. 

As a few Outriders managed to squeeze through intact, the Border Tribe take a knee and raise their shields. The Kingsguard behind them level their sonic spears over their comrades' shoulders, and on T'Challa's command, fire at the approaching monsters. The Winter Soldier uses his machine gun, and Bruce fires the Hulkbuster's hand repulsors.

Sam, sending Redwings into the fight as he flies, swooping to fire at them with his pistols, "You seen the teeth on those things?"

"Alright, back up, Sam. You're gonna get your wings singed." Rhodey say as he flies over the heaviest concentration of Outriders and drops a barrage of mines, all exploding fantastically. i love james rhodes 

Everyone notices a pack of Outriders starting to run around the forcefield to the right of the defenders' position. 

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us...There's nothing between them and Vision." Bruce says. 

"Them we better keep 'em in front of us." Steve says, grim and firm. 

Okoye, to T'Challa, "How do we do that?"

T'Challa sighs before simply saying, "We open the barrier." Putting his comm to his mouth. "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen."

"Requesting confirmation, my King. You said open the barrier?" Dome Control clarifies, puzzled. 

"On my signal." T'Challa commands. 

M'Baku turns to Okoye, "This will be the end of Wakanda."

Okoye stands straighter and prouder than ever, "Then it will be the noblest ending in history."

Captain America readies one of his vibranium hand guards. T'Challa shouts a command in Xhosa; the Border Tribesmen disengage their shields and stand, as T'Challa walks out in front of them, never taking his eyes off the enemy.

"WAKANDA FOREVER!" He crosses his arms in the Wakandan salute and closes his Black Panther helmet, charging for the barrier. The heroes and leaders are at the fore of the charge. Halfway to the barrier, the Black Panther shouts into his comm, "Now!"

The Outriders pour through, distracted from trying to find any other access. The Black Panther and Captain America pull ahead rapidly due to their enhancements, and literally leap into battle.

"How much longer, Shuri?" T'Challa hurriedly says into his comm. 

"We've barely begun, brother." Shuri responds, a delicate and intricate construction of gold light hovers at her eye level; as she manipulates it, the waldo tools reproduce her commands on the Mind Stone itself. Hecate and Wanda watch the scientist nervously. 

"You might want to pick up the pace." T'Challa says. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simultaneously, Thor prepares to open the iris of Nidavellir.

"Allfathers, give me strength." Thor prays silently to himself. 

"You understand, boy? You're about to take the full force of a star. It'll kill you." Eitri says, loud and clear. 

"Only if I die." Thor shrugs, takes deep breaths.

Eitri, completely boggled, "Yes. That's what... "killing you" means." Thor continues on as if unafraid. 

Thor grasps the two levers and pulls them down and towards himself, slowly opening the iris. The stream of stellar energy blasts pasts him and into the forge once again.

"Hold it! Hold it, Thor!" Eitri shouts, rushing about now, excitedly. 

Eitri watches the metal ingots melt while Thor is looking increasingly charred. Finally, Eitri is able to tip the cauldron, pouring the metal into the mold just as Thor passes out. The jet carries him into the forge, Rocket follows hastily and landing after Thor bounces limply off a structure to land on the floor. Groot finally looks up from his game at the thump Thor's body makes.

Rocket, kneeling over Thor, "Thor! Say something. Come on. Thor, you okay?" But Thor looks far from "okay".

Eitri clumsily and urgently pulls the mold, still glowing red-hot, onto the floor, breaking it loose from its frame, then starts punching the mold itself with his metal fists to free the axe.

Rocket's eyes are wide, "I think he's dying!" 

"He needs the axe! Where's the handle? Tree, help me find the handle!" Eitri shouts, desperate. 

Stormbreaker's two sections - the hammer and the axeblade - lay glowing on the floor. Groot looks sadly at Thor, then scowls with determination. He stands, and extends his fingers towards Stormbreaker, growing them at extraordinary speed. As he twines them around the two parts, he cries out at the burning pain but does not hesitate, slamming them together and locking them permanently into one structure. He raises it above his head, and with a mighty cry, chops his extended arm with his other hand to sever it at the right length.Thor's fingers twitch, and the new weapon levitates in a crackle of lightning echoed by the sparks between Thor's fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> most of my side notes makes it look like tony stark ghost wrote this and that was my goal for this story
> 
> ~A.M.


	9. Final Countdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay this is the big fight and this is mainly descriptions so that's the main reason it's so long compared to the other chapters 
> 
> ~A.M. 

The Avengers and Wakandans are struggling against the Outriders. Bucky goes down, and fights off Outrider fangs snapping at his head. Captain America and the Black Panther still fight side-by-side. War Machine hovers over the breach, pouring ammunition into the flood of bodies until a huge hammer - Cull Obsidian's - knocks him out of the sky and to the ground. The Hulkbuster is dogpiled and pinned. 

"There’s too many of them! GYAH! AAAAHHHHH!" Bruce screams in terror. 

Suddenly, a large beam of rainbow-hued light lands in the middle of the action, and an axe flies out of it, wreathed with lightning and tearing through the Outriders, freeing the heroes. It flies back to the light and into its master's hand just as the beam cuts out, revealing Thor, Groot and Rocket, who chambers a round in his large gun. Black Widow, Captain America and Black Panther pause in astonishment. Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian pause in apprehension.

Bruce, opening the Hulkbuster's helm and laughing with joy, "AH-hahaha! You guys are so screwed now!" He shouts at the sight. of his boyfriend okay ill go home 

"BRING ME THANOS!!! Thor fiercely yells and charges toward the hordes of Outriders, followed by Groot and Rocket, lightning gathering around him until he finally launches himself into the air, lands in the densest concentration of Outriders and makes a crater where they had stood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut to Titan, where Thanos arrives, finding only fresh debris from Ebony Maw's ship.

Doctor Strange appears, sitting on what may have been plaza steps once and observes the purple life size eggplant emoji, "Oh, yeah, you're much more of a 'Thanos'."

Thanos ignores the remark and instead observes, "I take it the Maw is dead. This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission."

"You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts." Strange says. 

"And where do you think he brought you?" Thanos responds as if people actually care. 

As they converse, Star-Lord crouches behind wreckage with his weapon ready, behind Thanos and to his left; Spider-Man and FireStorm peek from above and behind Doctor Strange. 

Doctor Strange sighs and looks around, "Let me guess. Your home?" Sherlock i mean Strange deduces. 

Thanos, smiling reminiscently, "It was. And it was beautiful." Thanos curls his gauntleted fist and activates the Reality Stone to show Strange Titan before it was destroyed - green lawns, intact buildings, water-filled ponds, strolling citizens, the jack-like structures hovering and connected to the ground-based buildings with beams of energy. "Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, and not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution."

"Genocide."

"But at random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman. And what I predicted came to pass." He relaxes his fist; the Stone stops glowing and the illusion fades back into the true state of wreckage that has become of Titan.

"Congratulations. You're a prophet." Strange sarcastically remarks. 

"I'm a survivor." Thanos hisses. 

"Who wants to murder trillions." Strange points out. 

"With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers, and they would all cease to exist. I call that...mercy."

Doctor Strange stands. "And then what?"

"I finally rest... and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

Doctor Strange summons his Mandalas, entering a fighting pose. "I think... you'll find... our will... equal to yours."

Thanos gives him a confused look,"Ours?" He looks up to a see a chunk of wreckage descending rapidly on him, too rapidly to react -- and powered by Iron Man. He is subsequently crushed by it.

"Piece of cake, Quill." Tony says as he flies in. 

“Yeah, if your goal was to piss him off!” Peter Quill yells as he follows and triggers his mask. 

The wreckage on top of Thanos erupts in purple, as he bellows in rage. He turns the hovering fragments into a flock of bats with the Reality Stone and swarms Iron Man with them, driving him back through the ruins.

Spider-Man webs his eyes, and swings in to kick him in the face at the same time that Drax leaps from cover, blades in both hands, to knee-slide behind Thanos and try for a tendon slide across the back of the Titan's knee. FireStorm sends a large fire blast his way, sending him sliding towards Strange’s portals. 

Strange jumps through a portal and summons a sword of golden energy, duelling with Thanos while Drax attacks similarly on his other side. Thanos punches Drax through a ruined wall, then shatters the blade with one hand and tears the web from his eyes. He advances on Strange and kicks at him, but Strange's shield absorbs the damage - the Cloak lifts him free of the ground.

Star-Lord has been making his way back on the ground, and shoots Thanos from behind. Thanos uses the Power Stone to shoot balls of energy at Star-Lord while Star-Lord leaps towards Thanos using magical platforms thrown in his path by Strange, the last one placed above Thanos's head so Star-Lord can flip over him and slap a mine on Thanos's back. Star-Lord sticks his landing, he disengages his helmet, flips Thanos a bird and falls backward into a portal. 

“Boom!” Quill shouts as he falls back. 

Tyler sends another fire blast, triggering the bomb and the explosion knocks Thanos to his knees and dazes him briefly. 

“Do not let him close his fist.” Strange whispers to the Cloak of Levitation. The Cloak swoops off Strange's shoulders and wraps itself tightly around Thanos's armored hand, who starts tugging at this unexpected wrapping.

Strange starts throwing portals everywhere. Spider-Man leaps through one on Thanos's left. 

“Magic!” Parker yells and he punches Thanos in the head and vanishes through a portal to the lower right before reappearing above Thanos. “More magic!” He yanks Thanos's head down hard, then leaps into a portal in front of him. He leaps through another portal high and behind Thanos. “Magic with a kick!” Delivers a flying kick and falls feet-first into an exit, then appears on his right. “Magic with a-“

Before he can finish Thanos turns, grabbing him from the air, and throwing him to the ground, with his hand around his neck. 

Thanos hisses, “Insect!” 

He then throws him at Strange, knocking them both down. 

“WHOEVER THREW THAT SPIDEY, YOUR MOM’S A HOE!” Tyler yells and sends a stream of fire Thanos’ way. 

Thanos finally tears the Cloak away and is then promptly surrounded by fiery explosions as Iron Man bombards him. He sucks all the flame into the gauntlet with the Power Stone and fires it in a stream at Iron Man, hitting him dead on and sending him far away, plowing through a massive fallen machine.

Spider-Man leaps from behind, more conventionally this time, while Thanos concentrates his fire on Iron Man, webs the gauntlet and drops down in front of him, pulling hard -- but Thanos yanks on the webline, pulling the much lighter teenager towards him, and punching him on his way past. He tears the webbing free of the gauntlet just in time for a small spaceship to attempt to crash-land on him.

The ship drags Thanos along for a distance, burying him under debris. He stands just as the pilot leaps in a great arc to punch him, landing in front of him with an energy-blade at the ready.

“Well, well.” Thanos smirks at his adoptive daughter. 

“You should have killed me.” Nebula calmly hisses at him. 

“Would've been a waste of parts!” Thanos snaps.

Nebula runs at Thanos, attacking him with her sword. “Where's Gamora?!” She yells. 

Thanos punches her away. Strange uses the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to pinion the gauntlet, pulling Thanos's fingers open and trying to pry the gauntlet off his hand.

Thanos tries to pull free, as Drax slides in from his right, kicking his knee and knocking him off-balance, then wrapping himself around Thanos's kneeling leg. 

Star-Lord shoots a electric trap onto the ground to Thanos's right, the tangle-field holding down his unarmored hand.

Spider-Man swings in, webs Thanos's chest then wraps it around behind him, digging his Iron Spider legs into the ground to anchor himself. Tyler rushes over to help him keep hold of the webbing. 

Strange opens a portal straight above Thanos's out of which drops Mantis, landing on the Titan's shoulders, her hands on his temples. He bellows as she tries to put him under.

Iron Man, having returned, is pulling on the gauntlet. Strange reapplies the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to reinforce the trap's hold on Thanos's right hand, and the Cloak helps him pull. Thanos is finally subdued enough to incapacitation, not fully asleep.

Tony, while pulling, “Is he under? Don't let up.”

“Be quick. He is very strong.” Mantis says as she begins to cry, the amount she has to use exhausting her already. 

“Parker, O’Brien, help! Get over here.” Tony calls to the teen. Spider-Man and FireStorm drop the webline, and hurry to help Tony with the gauntlet “She can't hold him much longer. Let's go.” The three begin pulling. 

Peter flies over to join the others, stands in front of Thanos. “I thought you'd be harder to catch. For the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh?” Quill unwisely taunts and steps closer, “Where is Gamora?” 

“My... Gamora...?” Thanos slowly asks softly. 

“No, bullshit. Where is she?” Quill snarls. 

Mantis appears shocked as she reads the titan’s emotions, “He is in anguish.”

The thought causes Quill an odd amount of joy, “Good.”

“He… he… mourns.” Mantis sobs. 

“What does this monster have to mourn?!” Drax shouts from where he is. 

Nebula whispers, “Gamora.” 

Peter pause and turns to her. “What?” 

Nebula,realising with horror and sadness what has happened. “He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone... but she didn't.”

Tony watches as Quill’s face shifts to disbelief and grasps the danger immediately and dehelmets. “Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it right now, you understand?”

Quill slowly turns to Thanos. 

“Don't, don't, don't engage, we've almost got this off!” Tony shouts, pleading and desperate. 

“Tell me she's lying.” Peter says, almost whispering before becoming completely enraged. “ASSHOLE! Tell me you didn't do it!”

“I... had... to.” Thanos slowly whispers. 

Peter, while starting to tear up; quietly. “No, you didn't…! No, you didn't…!” He continues to rage and then proceeds to pistol-whipping Thanos in the face, Mantis cries out in pain when Quill manages to hit her. “NO, YOU DIDN'T!!!” He yells in despair. 

“Quill!” Tony and Drax shout. 

Iron Man leaps for Star-Lord's arm, rehelmeting and leaving Spider-Man and FireStorm to pull off the gauntlet. 

Tony, to the struggling Quill, “Hey, stop! Hey, stop! Stop! Hey, stop! Stop!”

“It's coming! It's coming! It's coming!” Parker shouts. 

The two teens nearly have the gauntlet completely off as Tyler shouts in triumph, “I got it! I got it...!”

But Thanos wakes completely, and now well and truly furious. He head-butts Mantis, grabbing the cuff of the gauntlet just as it is sliding off his hand, causing Spider-Man and FireStorm to stumble back, and then throwing Mantis away off his shoulders.

Parker notices that Mantis has a little too much air beneath her, “Oh, God.” He jumps and wraps his arms and legs around her, extending his spider legs to form a roll cage for a safe landing. 

Thanos kicks Drax off his right leg and into Nebula and Star-Lord, knocking them down. He yanks on the Crimson Bands holding his right hand to throw Doctor Strange well away, and swats away Iron Man and his repulsor shots. The Guardians jump up and charge him again, but he fires a pulse of indigo energy at them that knocks the three of them completely unconscious. Tyler jumps into action, sending fire balls left and right, the power stone glows purple as Thanos manages to capture them and send them back her way. She goes flying and lands near the unconscious Guardians. 

Iron Man zooms back in, his nanite arm cannon manifested, and is head-butted to the ground. Thanos looks at him for a beat, then raises the gauntlet towards Titan's moon. Iron Man stares, aghast. Thanos uses a combination of the Power and Space Stones to shatter the moon's surface, then bring the debris down on the field of battle at speed. Iron Man powers out of the way but is caught by a chunk of moon about the size of a baseball field, slamming him into the ground. The Guardians go sailing into the air from the rebound. (throw another moon at my son again and i will kill you, you oversized, useless grape. -A.M) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in Wakanda, Shuri is working steadily to complete the Mind Stone's removal; Wanda and Hecate stands by tensely.

The Kingsguard, Borderers and Jabari have little success going against Cull Obsidian's chained hammer - he either sends them flying or punches them into the ground. The Black Panther gets free of his other sorties, leaps and uses all his collected kinetic energy behind a punch that lays Obsidian flat.

Rocket, having found a clear spot. "Come and get some, space dogs!" Another wave of Outriders heads right for the raccoon-oid. Bucky, having come up behind Rocket, grabs him with his mechanical arm, holds him at arms length and spins firing his own gun at the same time. "Come on, get some, get some! Come on, get some!" Bucky drops Rocket, who looks up at him with an impressed gleam. "How much for the gun?"

Bucky snaps off another burst. "Not for sale."

"Okay, how much for the arm?" Bucky just gives him a look and moves off. Rocket only smirks as he watches Bucky walks off. "Oh, I'll get that arm."

The tides of battle cause Thor, using Stormbreaker to great effect, and Captain America together. They take a breather.

"New haircut?" Steve asks, gesturing towards Thor's new hair do and panting. 

"Notice you've copied my beard." Thor smiles. 

Cap nods, wearily gesturing at his own face with a shield-covered hand. Groot skewers three Outriders with his right arm with an epic war cry. 

Thor smiles at the tree, "By the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree." 

"I am GROOT!" 

"I...I am Steve Rogers." Steve very formally pants. 

In Shuri's lab, a deep rumbling can be heard even at their height. Wanda looks down on the battlefield, and sees movement through the blazing forest between the troopships and the dome. When the disturbance reaches the edge of the trees, it turns into vast moving mounds of earth that easily bypass the force field and emerge -- Threshers, sets of massive, motorized spiked wheels, intended for nothing more than shredding everything in their paths.

Hecate and Shuri exchange slightly panicked looks and Hecate puts a hand on her shoulder, "I need to get down there."

Shuri looks at her with wide eyes and nods, "Go." 

Hecate nods and kisses her before darting out of the room. 

"Fall back! Fall back now!" T'Challa orders. 

Wanda watches as at least one set of Threshers separates into individual wheels and starts veering all over the battlefield, and then looks anxiously back at Vision.

Rhodey flies over Sam, "Focus that fire on the left flank, Sam."

"I'm doing it." The two fliers use their firepower to crack a Thresher but cannot find a weak spot.

Black Widow with her escrima sticks and Okoye with her augmented spear have drifted together when they're suddenly in the path of a Thresher. Both women cringe at their seemingly inevitable shredding when Hecate lands in front of both of them, eyes glowing green, lifting the whole Thresher well clear of the ground. Looking behind her, the friendly forces have scattered and replaced by a charging mob of Outriders -- the perfect place to throw a Thresher. Black Widow straightens with a pleased smile, Okoye with an amazed look.

Wanda lands next to the girls, eyes glowing red, saving Natasha from another Outrider. 

"She's on the field. Take it." Proxima Midnight says into an earpiece.

Corvus Glaive kills one of the guards just outside the lab, alerting Shuri to the problem. She starts hastily disconnecting her equipment from Vision's systems; he gasps at the sensations. The Dora Milaje engages Glaive but is sent skidding across the floor. Shuri finishes her shutdown, grabs one of her sonic panther-paws and fires at Glaive. The Dora attacks again, and Glaive sends both her and Shuri through the balcony railing and onto the main lab floor.

Vision is not where Corvus Glaive expects to find him. Vision is, in fact, charging at him and knocking him out the window to fall many meters down the face of Mount Bashenga.

"Guys, we got a Vision situation here. " Sam says before he's tackled by a leaping Outrider and grounded.

"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve shouts. 

"I got him!" Bruce has figured out the Hulkbusters repulsor thrusters and makes a beeline for the android.

"On my way." Wanda is then clobbered by Proxima Midnight's pommel and rolls down into the large ditch from the Thresher before she can move.

Proxima Midnight, jumping down next to Wanda, "He'll die alone. As will you."

"She's not alone." 

Proxima Midnight turns to see Okoye, Hecate, and Natasha surrounding her. 

Okoye silently brandishes her spear on the other side of Proxima and nods at Black Widow at the other female Avengers. 

Proxima Midnight attacks first, "Euuyaaah!" She leaps for Black Widow, who has joined her sticks into a full staff. She blocks Proxima's blow with an electrical crackle while Okoye runs around the slope to also attack from the front.

Corvus Glaive kicks Vision, knocking him down; as he attempts to rise again, Cull Obsidian shows up and swings his hammer in a full arc, throwing Vision even further. He painfully starts to climb to his feet again when a whooshing overhead interrupts the fight as Bruce Banner lands the Hulkbuster between the aliens and the android. He takes a defensive stance, pointing one hand's repulsor at each.

"Ohh no, oh no you don't. This isn't going to be like New York, pal. This suit's already kicked the crap out of the Hulk." Bruce yells out. Cull Obsidian jumps forward, grabs Bruce's right arm and Bruce in reflex grabs Obsidian's hammer; a jet fires, taking the two of them in a random direction, to the base of a waterfall.

"Guys! Vision needs backup now!" Bruce yells, Obsidian pulls the Hulkbuster up and kicks it in the small of the back. Trying to change into the Hulk while fighting Cull Obsidian in the Hulkbuster armor, "Hulk. Hulk, I know you like making your entrance at the last second, well, this is it, man. This is the last, last second." Bruce extends his left hand protectively; Obsidian grabs the armor's hand, chops the shoulder joint with a relatively small axe then does a roll over Bruce's back to leverage snapping off the Hulkbuster's whole arm. "Ahhhhh! Hulk! Hulk! HULK!"

Banner's face briefly becomes the Hulk, "NOOOO!!!" Hulk suddenly cries out.

Bruce rolls his eyes, "Oh, screw you, you big green asshole! I'll do it myself!" He returns his attention to Obsidian. "Come on!"

(also im still waiting for the plot twist edits with this quote. like hulk to bruce??? please? ~A.M.)

He charges the alien, jumps into the air and delivers an effective punch with his remaining hand - swat, punch, hammer - except that blow is caught by Obsidian, who punches back, knocking Bruce flat. Obsidian changes his left hand armor into a pointed weapon, and lunges forward to deliver a likely fatal blow, when Bruce grabs the detached Hulkbuster arm out of the water, holding it so Obsidian impales that instead, and slaps the controls.

Bruce Banner laughs a bit, "See ya!" The repulsors fire, taking Cull Obsidian high into the air - high enough, in fact, to intersect the defense dome. The Hulkbuster arm drags Obsidian against the field to grotesque destructive effect, ending in a very final explosion. "Hulk, we got a lot to figure out, pal." He sighs, laying back for a minute. 

Proxima Midnight alternates heavy blows between her three opponents, but all four of them duck as a single-wheel Thresher tears overhead, the ditch sparing them most of the danger from the wheel-blades. Proxima uses the distraction to kick Black Widow in the face, sending her to the ground. She then grabs Okoye by the shoulder and weapon and throws her meters away. She lunges with her weapon towards Hecate, which sends the witch stumbling a bit. 

"Well, now you pissed me off." Hecate groans, brandishing her own staff. 

Simultaneously, Corvus Glaive and Vision struggle in the forest at the foot of Mount Bashenga. Glaive grasps Vision's shoulder and uses the leverage to plunge his blade once more into the android's chest.

"I thought you were formidable, machine. But you're dying, like any man." Corvus Glaive yanks his blade out, and Vision collapses. As he bends over his fallen opponent to retrieve the Stone, he's tackled by Captain America at full speed.

"Get outta here!" Steve yells at Vision as he exchanges blows with Glaive, using his arm-shields as offence as well as defence, then turns to Vision again. "GO!"

Black Widow splits her staff back into a pair of sticks to block Proxima Midnight's swordblows, and finally knocks it from her hand. The alien takes to her bare fists instead, knocks down and pins the Black Widow. Proxima triggers an arm-blade from her left-arm armor, and stabs at Widow, who manages to get saved by Hecate with her staff. As the edge starts to dig into Black Widow's neck anyway, scarlet energy grabs the alien and tosses her into the air right into the path of another passing Thresher. Dark blue blood spatters the women below. Wanda sits up, sighing with relief, her hands still shimmering.

"That was really gross." A blue splattered Natasha remarks. 

Captain America keeps blocking Corvus Glaive's staff weapon using his shields, finally knocking it from the alien's hands just before he's thrown over a fallen tree and pinned, Glaive's hand at his throat. Even with his physical abilities, Cap's struggling -- until a glaive-blade pierces Glaive's chest, and is pushed all the way through. Vision raises his enemy in a perfect mirror of the first attack on him, and holds him for a moment, before dropping Glaive's corpse to one side and collapsing exhaustedly.

Steve helps him back up. "I thought I told you to go."

Vision shakes his head, "We don't trade lives, Captain."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

yeet back to titan

The Guardians and Avengers are dealing with the gravitic aftermath of dumping a large chunk of moon onto an unstable planet's surface. The unconscious Guardians are flying upwards uncontrollably, moon-chunks are still making fiery ballistic inbounds, and random debris and massive rocks are floating in any possible direction. Spider-Man and FireStorm is well-equipped to handle this physically, even if they are both freaking out emotionally.

Peter webs Mantis. "I got you! I got you!"

Tyler snags Drax, securing both of them to something Not Moving. "I'm sorry I can't remember anybody's names!" 

Peter reels in Quill and they land next to each other, panting. 

"We really should've learned their names." Parker sighs.

Tyler nods, "Yeah, probably."

The Cloak of Levitation sets Doctor Strange down on a relatively stable outcrop as Thanos extricates himself from rubble. The Sorceror Supreme makes a few passes with his hands, producing the familiar golden magic filigree circles, and slams his hands down on the rock before him, invoking the Seven Suns of Cinnibus as a lightning-like effect of immense heat jumping from rock to rock until it reaches Thanos, sending him flying - but he makes use of the erratic gravity to keep control and fire back a blast from the Power Stone.

Strange blocks the purple plume with a wall of Mirror Dimension, which he then pushes back at Thanos. It shatters around the Titan, who suctions the magic into a miniature black hole with the Space Stone, volleying it back at Strange. Just in time, Strange raises a shield and changes the dark energy into a swarm of aqua butterflies which return to their master. 

Before Thanos can counterattack again, Strange levitates and invokes the Images of Ikonn, giving him arms like a Hindu diety before dozens of Strange replications rush away, forming a circular wall around a snarling Thanos. They call cast magical cords, wrapping around Thanos's torso, arms and hands; he struggles to close his gauntleted fist, and uses the Soul and Power Stones to discover the real Strange among the many copies, blowing the duplicates away and sending the singular Strange reeling. Reality and Space pull Strange forward, Thanos grasping him by the throat once in range. Strange grabs futilely at Thanos's hand.

Thanos smirks, "You're full of tricks, wizard."

Strange gapes as Thanos reaches for the Eye of Agamotto and shouts, "No!"

Thanos snaps the Eye off its chain. "Yet you never once used your greatest weapon." He crushes it in his bare hand. "A fake." He growls before he throws Strange hard enough that Strange's head hits stone and he passes out

Almost simultaneously, a red and gold device slaps into the palm of the Infinity Gauntlet, bracing the fingers open; and a red and gold Avenger makes a fast and hard entrance.

Tony, sounding just about done with the Titan, "You throw another moon at me, and I'm gonna to lose it."

"Stark." Thanos groans.

Tony furrows his eyebrows in question, "You know me?"

Thanos nods, "I do. You're not the only one cursed with knowledge."

"My only curse is you." Small rockets pop out of Iron Man's back and launch at Thanos.

"Come on!" Thanos yells. 

The rockets all explode on target, momentarily shrouding Thanos in smoke. Before it clears, Iron Man pile drives into Thanos horizontally, using his single super-jet boot configuration. As he bounces off, he flips and sticks his landing, immediately reconfiguring his boots into ground clamps for stability and his gloves into rocket-driven battering rams, punching Thanos into a ruined wall behind him.

Thanos shakes it off quickly, reaches forward and tears Iron Man's helmet off, revealing Tony's surprised expression before the suit recovers automatically and re-forms his head protection. The Titan makes use of the fractional delay and punches back hard, sending Iron Man sliding meters away, giving Thanos time to rip the brace device off the gauntlet. He immediately uses the Power Stone to stream furiously lambent energy at his opponent, who forms a shield to kneel behind just as instantly, getting pushed back even further by the incredible force.

Iron Man slides out from behind the shield, letting the angled energy push him away for a faster start, and whips back to Thanos full thrusters; he kicks at the Titan with his left foot, turning the boot into a ground clamp at the same time to pin the gauntlet, and keeps twisting while his left glove becomes a ram again, slamming into Thanos's face, cutting his cheek.

Thanos, panting and smirking, wipes the small bit of blood off of his cheek, "All that for a drop of blood."

He smiles briefly punches Iron Man, sending him pinwheeling, then starts beating him with his fists. Tony attempts to block the blows with his forearms, but Thanos is relentless, picking him up by the helmet and blasting his midsection with the Power Stone. The gaps in nanite coverage are now gaping, as the armor loses the ability to recover from the intensity and extent of the damage. Iron Man lands hard from the Power blast, struggles to one knee and fires his right hand repulsor at the inexorable Thanos; the beam is easily deflected by the gauntlet. He gets to both feet as the suit tries to complete repairs, adding the beam from his left hand as well. Thanos walks right up to him, and backhands the incomplete helmet completely off Tony's head. He crosses his arms to block a blow from Thanos's gauntlet, and has his left hand caught over his head. In desperation, he forms what's left of his right glove into a shortsword, which is also easily caught by Thanos, snapping it off clean and driving it through Iron Man's left side. The fight is over.

Thanos walks Iron Man back until he sits, and places the gauntlet almost comfortingly on Tony's head. "You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive." He lets go, straightens and steps back. "I hope they remember you."

Iron Man's just a little distracted with the pain, and blood drooling out of his mouth, and compromised breathing. Thanos raises the gauntlet, closing his fist, all four Stones glowing. 

"Stop!" Strange calls out, sitting up and sounding entirely damaged. "Spare his life... and I will give you the stone."

"No tricks." Strange shakes his head as Thanos points all four Stones at him instead.

"Don't..!" Tony chokes out. 

Strange reaches up and plucks the Time Stone out of its hiding place in the stars. He opens his hand, the scars on his fingers and their inherent trembling particularly obvious now, and the Stone floats to Thanos's bare hand. Strange watches him intently, as he takes the Stone and drops it into the thumb setting, the energy pulse making the Titan wince.

Thanos smirks, "One to go." His triumph is short lived when an energy blast hits the gauntlet right in the empty Mind Stone setting, and Thanos grimaces in surprise.

Everyone turns to see Peter Quill flies in, screaming in rage and firing at an uncaring Thanos.

Thanos doesn't even bother responding to the assault - he just leaves. Star-Lord flies through where Thanos had been and crashes, rolling several times.

"Where is he?!" Quill snaps as he approaches, dehelemeting.

Iron Man stitches up his stab wound as well as he can with his suit functions; he has no breath for answers.

Peter Quill eyes are now fearful instead of furious as he observes the Strange and Tony's defeated stances. "Did we just lose?"

Tony turns to Strange, sadly, who has given the Time Stone to Thanos and softly asks, "Why would you do that?"

"We're in the endgame now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

M'Baka bashes another Outrider - the ground game has improved considerably with the addition of the God of Thunder. His tribesmen are equally successful around him.

"MAYEFA!" M'Baku shouts. 

"YA HU!" The Jabari chant. 

Thor is in the air, using Stormbringer on the Outrider drop ships which are now retreating. He is having considerably more success than the Wakandan Dragon fliers firing on the fleeing ships.

Wanda lands as she finally locates Vision. "Are you okay?" Vision flinches in pain before he can answer. "What? What is it?"

"He's here." Vision states with a grimace. 

The wind picks up. It feels... strange. Eerie.

Steve pauses from where he is and tenses, "Everyone, on my position. We have incoming." He is joined by the Black Widow, Falcon, Okoye and the Black Panther in short order.

"What the hell?" Natasha asks, stiffly.

Bruce sees the blue-black clouds of a Space Stone relocation just before Thanos steps forward, and confirms this isn't just another member of the Black Order. "Cap. That's him."

"Eyes up. Stay sharp." Steve lowly says. 

Bruce reaches Thanos first, lunging forward fist-first - but Thanos uses the Space Stone on him, renders him immaterial until the Hulkbuster is half-buried in the stone of the cliff behind him, and freezes Bruce in place.

Captain America is sent flying by purple energy before he even gets to strike a single blow.

The Black Panther, armor fully charged kinetically, leaps high and with claws extended, but is easily grabbed by the throat and punched to the ground, his armor discharging violently.

Falcon stoops, strafing with both pistols, but is felled when his wings become rubbery and unable to sustain flight.

"Wanda. It's time." Vision states. 

Wanda shakes her head, "No."

Vision shakes his head, "They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can. Look at me. You have the power to destroy the stone." 

"Don't." Wanda says. stubbornly. 

Vision grimaces, "You must do it. Wanda, please. We. Are. Out of time."

Wanda shakes her head, "I can't."

"Yes, you can. You can. If he gets the stone, half the universe dies." Vision reasons. 

"It's not fair." A tearful Wanda responds.

Vision shakes his head, "It shouldn't be you, but it is. It's all right. You could never hurt me. I just... feel you."

Wanda extends a trembling hand and starts beaming her energy at the Mind Stone.

The following action is mostly muted. War Machine joins the fight, firing his guns at Thanos until he uses the gauntlet to crush his armor around him and toss him aside.

Bucky runs in firing, and is punched away by the Power Stone.

Okoye activates the vibranium-powered elements on her spear and flings it; Power stops it inches from Thanos, and throws her and it aside while wrapping the Black Widow in unescapable bands of earth.

Groot stabs his hands into the ground to wrap Thanos in cables of roots, which he breaks easily.

Wanda watches all this over one shoulder, and turns back to Vision to add her left hand to her tearful effort.

Captain America slides under one blow and comes up swinging his deployed arm-shields, punching Thanos in the gut and chin. He grabs the gauntlet, keeping Thanos's fingers unclenched. Thanos looks very briefly impressed at Cap's efforts as he screams before slamming a fist into his head and rendering him insensible.

Wanda looks over her shoulder again and sees Thanos approaching unopposed. She looks back at Vision anxiously, not quite knowing what to do. She is luckily saved by Hecate swooping in, green magic forcing Thanos' back into a tree. Wanda looks at her gratefully.

"Keep going!" Hecate shouts.

"It's all right. It's all right. I love you." Vision mutters softly. 

At those words, Wanda begins sobbing harder. The Mind stone finally lifts up from Vision's head. Wanda tries to break it but, of course, Hecate was right, Her magic wasn't made for this. Hecate looks over at the two, seeing Wanda struggle. 

Thanos notices this too and smirks, "She can't do it!"

Hecate rolls her eyes, "Shut up, you grape." She says, sending him flying into a cliff not far from them, temporarily rendering him unconscious. She then turns to Wanda and sends her magic that way, the yellow Mind Stone finally starts to crack. Vision's face is overcome by an expression of joyful peace, and as the crystal fragments completely, a pulse of pure yellow energy explodes from him, shuddering the trees for many meters around his epicenter. Wanda's, Hecate's and Thanos's energy subsides.

"I understand, my child. Better than anyone." Thanos says, approaching Wanda.

"You could never." A sobbing Wanda snarls.

Thanos reaches down to presume to stroke her hair, as if in comfort. "Today, I lost more than you can know. But now is no time to mourn. Now... is no time at all." He reaches forward, clenching the gauntlet, emerald mist surrounding his wrist, making a gesture very similar to that Doctor Strange made when activating the Eye of Agamotto. In response, a bead of yellow light starts gathering in on itself as time is reversed and growing in size, solidifying into an intact and conscious Vision.

Wanda's eyes go wide in fear. "No!" She screams as she lunges for Vision and is swatted away. 

Thanos picks up Vision by the throat, lifting him to eye-level, and digs the fingers of his right hand into Vision's forehead, digging out the Mind Stone. He pulls it loose, and Vision goes limp and colorless; he tosses the lifeless android aside like trash. Bringing his gauntleted hand up, he slowly moves the Mind Stone over the last empty setting, and drops it in. The energy surge is much more than any previous - his torso is wreathed with iridescent static and he bellows from the sensations.

As Thanos studies the completed gauntlet, a massive bolt of lighting strikes him, digging him into the ground and grinding him back for meters. Thor has arrived, eyes glowing with power, stooping down from the sky like a bird of prey. The God of Thunder pauses his attack, reverses his position, raises Stormbreaker above his head and hurls it -- Thanos fires the whole might of the gauntlet against it, but it only creates a rainbow-like bowshock, not slowing the axe as it slams right into Thanos' chest. 

Thor lands in front of Thanos, who is down on one knee; hatefully. "I told you. You'd die for that!"

He takes hold of the back of Thanos's head and forces Stormbreaker deeper into his chest, staring angrily into his eyes while Thanos cries out in pain. 

Thanos begins weakly, "You should have... You...." He suddenly becomes stronger. "You should have gone for the head!" He raises his gauntlet and snaps his fingers.

Thor and Hecate's eyes go wide and scream, "NO!"


	10. Another One Bites the Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can tell it's me by the song title
> 
> ~A.M. 

The scene whites out. It cuts sharply to a view of Thanos his hand on his chest, no wounds visible. Thanos now seems to be inside the Soul Stone, where he sees a young Gamora and the pavilion from the home world of the Zen-Whoberi.

"Daughter?" Thanos questions. 

Gamora turns towards him, "Did you do it?"

"Yes." Thanos simply answers. 

Gamora pauses for a beat before asking, "What did it cost?"

"Everything." Thanos solemnly remarks, looking at his 'daughter'.

Now out of the Soul World, Thanos is snapped back to normal reality, and notices the damage inflicted on the gauntlet - the metal scorched and distorted from heat, the stones no longer glowing.

"What'd you do?" Thor quietly asks before angrily repeating, "WHAT'D YOU DO?!"

Thanos nearly seems to not notice Thor before he uses the Space Stone and teleports away, leaving Stormbreaker behind on Wakandan ground.

Steve stumbles into the clearing, holding his left side. "Where'd he go? Thor... where'd he go?" 

"Steve?" Bucky asks as he stumbles in, examining his already disappearing arm. 

Bucky suddenly stumbles over, and collapses into ashes, much to Steve's shock; he walks over and touches the ground where Bucky's ashes evaporated unbelievingly. All Steve can do is sit and look incredulously. 

On the battlefield, Wakankan soldiers disintegrate to ashes, much to M'Baku's horror.

T'Challa reachs for a fallen Okoye. "Up, General. Up! This is no place to die." T'Challa holds out his hand for Okoye. But he suddenly disintegrates into ashes and an anguish Okoye falls back on the ground.

"Kumkani?!" Okoye cries out.

Groot slowly corrodes into ashes as well by Rocket. "I am Groot..." Translation: "Dad?"

Rocket approches where Groot was sitting after losing him yet again. "No.... No. No. No. No! Groot, no."

Wanda is mourning over Vision. She then turns into ashes. An injured Falcon turns to ashes, hidden in the undergrowth.

James Rhodes searching for Falcon, missing him by only a few feet. "Sam? Sam!? Where you at?!" Rhodey calls.

On Titan, the remaining members of the Guardians and Avengers collect themselves - Mantis props up Star-Lord, Spider-Man helps Tony to his feet, Drax and Nebula manage to limp over on their own.

"Something... is... happening." Mantis as she gets killed into ashes.

Drax turns to Quill as he dissolves. Quill?" Quill stares in horror.

Tony holds a comforting hand out. "Steady, Quill."

Quill looks at Tony in worry, “Aw, man.” Quill also gets disintegrated into ashes. 

Strange calmly turns to Stark. “Tony, there was no other way.” He finally gets erased. 

Peter Parker realizes he's fading away. “Mister Stark? I don't feel so good...” 

Tyler watches in horror as Peter stumbles and begins to shake her head. “No, no, no...” She tearfully repeats. 

Tony, trying to be calm, his voice shaking as he looks at Peter in terror. “You're all right.”

Peter Parker, stumbling and terrified, “I don't know what's- I don't know what's happening. I don't-“ Parker falls into Stark's arms, clutching him tight and crying. “I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go, sir, please. Please, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go... I'm sorry.” Parker tearfully whispers to both Tyler and Tony as disintegrates into ashes in Stark's arms.

Tony wraps weak arms around Tyler as she sobs, they’re both waiting for the other to disintegrate. 

Nebula to Tony Stark, seeing Thanos' victory. “He did it.”

Stark and Tyler mourn silently at their failure it caused. 

Back on Wakanda, the remaining team members, Captain America, Thor, War Machine, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, and Rocket are left mourning near Vision's dead body.Captain America turns over Vision's bleached corpse as the Black Widow runs up to the other survivors. 

Hecate looks around at others who are still disintegrating. Her eyes go wide and she sighs in relief as Shuri runs toward her, a cut on her forehead the only visible injury.

Shuri runs into her girlfriend’s arms before gasping and panting. 

Hecate seems to realise what’s happening and stiffens, “No, Shuri, don’t. You can’t.” 

“It’ll be okay. You’ll figure it out.” Shuri says before disintegrating. 

“NO!” Hecate cries. The team stares as she silently collapses next to a sobbing Steve. 

Rhodey runs towards them all, “What is this? What the hell is happening?” He, almost angrily, asks.

“.... Oh, God.” Steve sobs. 

Meanwhile, in a different place, in a rustic house on a terraced slope with a scarecrow made of discarded armor, Thanos sits down and watches the Sun rise.

Cut to Fury and Maria Hill driving. 

“Still no word from Stark?” Nick asks Maria. 

Maria shakes her head, No, not yet. We're watching every satellite in both hemispheres, there's still nothing.” 

Receives three beeps from her device and looks down at it in shock. 

“What is it?” Fury questions in worry. 

“Multiple bogeys over Wakanda.”

“Same energy signatures as New York?”

“Ten times bigger.”

“Tell Klein. We'll meet him at-“ Nick said. 

“Nick!” Hill calls as a car spirals out of control in front of them. They get out and Hill checks on the passengers.

“They okay?” Fury questions. 

Behind their vehicle, a motorcycle lies in the middle of the street with a concerned citizen approaching it.

“There's no one here.” Maria says in shock. 

They hear helicopter rotor sounds from the direction they'd come, but it sounds wrong -- a Leonardo executive helicopter, tail rotor smoking from damage already, appears and crashes nose-first into a building. Screaming intensifies. The two are now witnessing civilians around them suddenly disintegrating.

“Call Control. Code Red.” Nick orders and Maria nods, rushing back to the car. She grabs a pager. 

“Nick?” Maria worriedly questions. 

Fury turns around to see Hill disintegrating.

“Hill?” He questions. 

Fury then races back to their car and gets a what appears to be an old pager with extra gear attached out of his bag on the back seat. He sends out an emergency alert, mere seconds before his hand turns into ashes. 

“Oh, no. Motherf-“ 

Fury corrodes to dust. The pager falls to the ground, red lights blinking on the additions; the camera zooms in and we see the device display "SENDING..." then display a red-blue-and-gold star insignia -- the symbol of Captain Marvel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand that’s a wrap! wow. we actually just finished a story! we hope you enjoyed and we will be back for endgame! 
> 
> ~A.M.


	11. The End

wow, we’ve finally finished a story. wow. 

we hope to be back son with an endgame book so keep an eye out for that! 

thanks for sticking with us through our slow editing/uploading! 

we have other stories so feel free to check those out! 

-A.M.


	12. we're in the endgame now

GUYS

we found an endgame script!!!! finally! so expect the first chapter very soon (hopefully) 

sidenote: IM MOVING THIS SUMMER so that means i’m going to be getting chapters out slowly or fairly quickly it really depends. 

see you in the endgame 

~A.M.


End file.
